nyapu

Nyapu is an Indonesian verb meaning to sweep a floor or ground with a broom. It is commonly understood in Indonesia and in Malay-speaking regions, particularly in informal speech or regional varieties. In standard, formal Indonesian, the equivalent verb is menyapu.

Linguistic notes: Nyapu is considered a colloquial or dialectal form of the action conveyed by the root sapu (broom). The typical formal Indonesian verb for this action is menyapu, which uses the prefix meny-. The existence of nyapu reflects regional pronunciation and speech patterns found in everyday conversation, especially in rural or nonstandard registers. Both nyapu and menyapu refer to the same cleaning action, but nyapu is more characteristic of spoken language rather than formal writing.

Usage examples: Dia nyapu lantai setiap pagi. Nenekny napu halaman belakang? In formal contexts this would usually be written as Dia menyapu lantai setiap pagi, or Dia menyapu halaman belakang.

See also: menyapu, sapu (broom).