merapat

Merapat is a verb used in Indonesian and Malay that denotes moving closer, coming alongside, or bringing something into close contact. In maritime usage, merapat specifically describes a vessel approaching a dock or quay and making contact with the harbor infrastructure, effectively docking or berthing.

Etymology and senses. The term is related to rapat, meaning close or tight, with the me- prefix forming an active verb. Merapat can describe physical proximity between objects or people, as well as the act of aligning or bringing elements together. In broader contexts, the causative form merapatkan is used to indicate making things closer or bringing items into tighter arrangement, such as reducing gaps or aligning components.

Usage. In everyday Indonesian, merapat is commonly used for ships and boats: Kapal merapat di dermaga. It can also describe people or objects moving toward one another or toward a meeting point. The word can appear in phrases that emphasize closeness or alignment, and the related form merapatkan is used when a deliberate action is taken to bring things closer together, such as merapatkan barisan peserta or merapatkan pintu-pintu ruang guna meningkatkan keamanan.

Examples. Kapal merapat di dermaga pada sore hari. Petugas merapatkan barisan kursi sebelum rapat dimulai. Usage varies slightly by region, but merapat remains a standard term for approaching physical proximity or docking in Indonesian and Malay.