cepat
/t͡ʃəˈpat/
To say "hurry up" in Indonesian, use cepat.
The word cepat primarily means "fast" or "quick" as an adjective, but when used as a command, it functions as the imperative "hurry up". In colloquial spoken Indonesian, you will frequently hear people say Ayo cepat! to mean "Come on, hurry up!", adding Ayo to express urgency.
Meaning: go faster (verb)
Which one should you use?
While cepat is a versatile word that can mean "fast" or "quick" (adjective), in a command context it is used to mean "hurry up".
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the command more emphatic or to provide a slightly more standard tone for an imperative, you can add the suffix -lah to create cepatlah. To emphasize the speed or the urgency of an action, you can use reduplication to form cepat-cepat.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃəˈpat/
Did you know?
- While cepat means 'fast', Indonesians often use the word buruan in casual settings to specifically mean 'hurry up'. Using cepat can sometimes sound like a direct order, whereas buruan is the more common slang for urging a friend.
- The word cepat originates from Classical Malay, the ancestral language that served as the lingua franca for trade across Southeast Asia.
- In some informal settings, you might hear people use the word gercep, which is a slang contraction of gerak cepat (move fast), to mean 'hurry up' or to describe someone who is very proactive.
Examples in context
- Cepatlah, atau kau akan terlambat.Hurry up, or you will be late.This sentence demonstrates the use of the imperative form cepat.Tatoeba #4380688 by Bilmanda, translation #19664 by Swift
- Cepat! Jika tidak, kita akan terlambat.Hurry up! If you don't, we'll be late.This sentence shows how to use cepat to express urgency.Tatoeba #4380662 by Bilmanda, translation #405644 by CK
- Cepatlah, atau kau akan ketinggalan busnya.Hurry up, or you'll miss the bus.This sentence uses the imperative form cepat in the context of missing a bus.Tatoeba #4381810 by Bilmanda, translation #19670 by CK
- Mohon buru-buru, pak. Pesanan harus segera dikirim.Please hurry up, sir. The order needs to be delivered quickly.
- Jangan lambat-lambat deh, kita hampir ketinggalan kereta!Don't be slow, we're almost missing the train!
- Oke, buruan!Okay, hurry up!
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Indah and Budi are walking to a movie theater.
- IndahBudi, cepat sedikit, filmnya akan mulai!Budi, hurry up a little, the movie is going to start!
- BudiIya, Indah, aku sedang berusaha.Yes, Indah, I am trying.
- IndahAyo cepat, jangan jalan santai saja.Come on, hurry up, don't just walk slowly.
- BudiOke, oke, aku akan jalan lebih cepat.Okay, okay, I will walk faster.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cepat, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cepat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
