How to Say "A Lot" in Malay - How To Say Guide

banyak

/ˈbaɲak/

The Malay phrase for "a lot" is banyak.

banyak is an adverb meaning "very much".

Meaning: very much (adv)

Which one should you use?

banyak (a lot) is the direct antonym of sedikit, which means "a little" or "a few".

/ˈbaɲak/

While banyak means 'a lot', adding the word gila (which literally means 'crazy') transforms it into a slang term meaning 'insanely many'.
In casual settings, repeating the word as banyak-banyak is often used as a polite invitation for a guest to help themselves to as much food as they want.
Malay speakers distinguish between 'a lot' of things and 'a lot' of people by using ramai instead of banyak to suggest a lively or crowded atmosphere.

Ziri menonton banyak filem seram.
Ziri saw a lot of horror movies.
This sentence shows how to use banyak when referring to a quantity of movies.
Tatoeba #10732581 by imperiex, translation #10226653 by Amastan
Saya telah berbuat banyak perkara.
I've done a lot.
This sentence shows how to use banyak to refer to things or actions done.
Tatoeba #10730634 by imperiex, translation #5902873 by CK
Tom memiliki banyak buku Bahasa Perancis.
Tom has a lot of French books.
This sentence shows how to use banyak when describing a collection of books.
Tatoeba #10666282 by imperiex, translation #2451502 by CK
Malam tadi saya makan banyak.
Last night, I ate a lot.
Projek ini memerlukan masa yang sangat banyak.
This project requires a great amount of time.
Pekerjaan ini mempunyai risiko yang terlalu banyak.
This job has too many risks.
Kami makan banyak gila semalam!
We ate a crazy amount last night!
Harga barang-barang sekarang melambung tinggi.
The prices of goods are skyrocketing these days.
13 more sentences on Tatoeba

Farah and Muhammad are discussing their recent trip to the market.

Sources

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