Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di rumah saya, dilarang merokok di ruang tamu. - At my house, smoking is forbidden in the living room.

di in Di rumah saya and di ruang tamu is a preposition meaning in/at, written as a separate word.
di- in dilarang is a prefix marking passive voice (attached to the verb), meaning “is/are forbidden.” So it’s not the preposition.

Who is the subject of dilarang? Who is doing the forbidding?

There’s no explicit subject. Dilarang is an impersonal passive: “(It is) forbidden.” The authority is understood from context (e.g., the house owner or household rule), but it doesn’t need to be stated.

Why is there a comma after Di rumah saya? Is it required?

It’s optional. Indonesian often puts a comma after a fronted location/time phrase to improve readability. You can write it with or without the comma, and both are fine.

Could I say Merokok dilarang di ruang tamu (di rumah saya) instead? Is the word order flexible?

Yes. Common variants include:

Di rumah saya, dilarang merokok di ruang tamu.
Di rumah saya, merokok dilarang di ruang tamu.
Merokok dilarang di ruang tamu di rumah saya. All are grammatical; fronting a location sets context first, while fronting merokok emphasizes the activity.

What’s the difference between dilarang, tidak boleh, and jangan?

dilarang = “is forbidden/prohibited” (formal/impersonal, like signage).
tidak boleh (merokok) = “not allowed (to smoke)” (neutral, everyday).
jangan merokok = “don’t smoke” (direct negative command to someone). Formality and directness increase from tidak boleh to jangan, while dilarang sounds like a rule.

Why is it merokok and not rokok?

Rokok is a noun (cigarette). Merokok is the verb “to smoke,” formed with the verbal prefix meN- on rokok. After dilarang, you need a verb phrase (“forbidden to [do something]”), so merokok fits.

What’s the difference between di (separate) and di- (attached), as seen in di ruang tamu vs dilarang?

di (separate) = preposition “in/at,” used before nouns: di rumah, di ruang tamu.
di- (attached) = passive verbal prefix: dilarang, dibaca, ditutup. Never write the preposition as one word with the noun (✗ dirumah), and never split the passive prefix from the verb (✗ di larang).

Does this sentence mean no smoking only in the living room, or in the whole house?

As written, it forbids smoking specifically in the living room. If you want the whole house: Di rumah saya, dilarang merokok. If you want to stress “only the living room,” say: Di rumah saya, hanya di ruang tamu dilarang merokok.

If I want to say “I forbid smoking in the living room,” how do I use active voice?

Use melarang with a subject: Saya melarang merokok di ruang tamu. You can also add an object if needed: Saya melarang orang merokok di ruang tamu.

Why is it rumah saya (noun + pronoun) instead of “my house” before the noun?

In Indonesian, possessive pronouns follow the noun: rumah saya = “my house.” Alternatives:

rumahku (informal, suffix -ku)
rumah gue / rumah aku (colloquial, regional)

Does di ruang tamu mean “in the living room” or “in my living room”?

Literally “in the living room.” But because the sentence starts with Di rumah saya, it’s understood as the living room of that house. You can make it explicit: di ruang tamu saya, but it’s often unnecessary.

What’s the difference between ruang tamu and ruang keluarga?

ruang tamu = guest-receiving room (front room/living room for visitors).
ruang keluarga = family room (more private lounge for family). Some homes use one room for both, but the terms distinguish function.

Are there synonyms for ruang tamu?

Yes: ruang duduk can be used (living/sitting room), though ruang tamu is more common. In casual speech you might also hear ruang depan (front room) depending on the house layout.

Can I replace di with ke or pada here?

No. di marks static location (in/at). ke is for movement “to,” and pada is used for recipients, times, or more formal contexts with abstract nouns. For place where something happens, use di.

How would I say “Smoking is forbidden anywhere in my house”?

Di rumah saya, dilarang merokok di mana pun. You can also say Di seluruh rumah saya, dilarang merokok. Both emphasize the ban is for all areas.

What nouns can I form from this, like “smoking ban” or “smoker”?

larangan merokok = smoking ban/prohibition.
perokok = smoker. These use common derivations: pe- for agent nouns, -an or pe- -an patterns for abstract nouns.

How would I say this more politely to guests?

Common polite phrasings:

Mohon tidak merokok di ruang tamu.
Tolong jangan merokok di ruang tamu. They’re softer than dilarang merokok, which sounds like a rule or sign.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

dilarang: di-lah-rang (final ng like in “sing”; tap the r).
merokok: me-ro-kok (both o like in “off”; final k is unreleased). Stress is usually on the penultimate syllable: di-LA-rang, me-RO-kok.

Is capitalization important here?

In running text, normal capitalization applies. On signs you’ll often see title case or all caps for emphasis: Dilarang Merokok. The grammar doesn’t change; it’s just stylistic.