ramai

Ramai is a common word in Malay and Indonesian, meaning "many" or "a large number." It functions as an adjective or determiner that precedes a noun to indicate plurality, as in ramai orang datang or penduduk ramai. It can also form the noun phrase orang ramai, meaning a crowd. In standard usage, ramai does not inflect for number; plurality is indicated by the noun and context rather than by changing ramai. It may modify a clause: Ramai yang hadir memeriahkan acara tersebut. The reduplicated form ramai-ramai is common and emphasizes collective action or participation, as in Mereka ramai-ramai membantu mangsa banjir (They all helped flood victims).

The word is widely used in both Malay and Indonesian, across formal and informal registers, and is found in government, media, and everyday speech. In translation, ramai is usually rendered as "many" or "a lot," depending on context. Etymology: ramai is a native Malay word with cognates across the Malay-speaking world; precise historical derivation is not well documented in English-language sources. See also banyak, orang, keramaian.