mudahmudahan

Mudah-mudahan is a Malay-Indonesian expression meaning "hopefully" or "God willing." It is used to express a wish that something will happen or be easy, often introducing the clause that follows. In modern Indonesian and Malay, the term is generally considered archaic or literary and is more commonly found in religious, historical, or formal texts than in everyday conversation. The equivalent modern phrases are semoga or insya Allah, which are more common in daily use.

The form is sometimes written as mudahmudahan without a hyphen in older manuscripts or informal writing, but standard contemporary spelling typically uses the hyphen (mudah-mudahan). The expression belongs to a set of literary particles that frame a wish or prayer rather than assert a fact. Its usage tends to convey formality, solemnity, or a traditional tone.

Etymologically, the phrase is built from the Malay word mudah meaning "easy," combined with a reduplicated or reinforced particle to express a hopeful intent. While its exact historical origins are not precisely documented, mudah-mudahan appears in classical Malay and Indonesian literature, religious texts, and later period printings, where it functions as a polite, exhortative preface to a desired outcome.

Examples include: Mudah-mudahan kita semua selamat sampai tujuan. Mudah-mudahan pekerjaanmu cepat selesai. In contemporary writing, writers may opt for semoga instead to convey a similar wish in a more modern register.