Dilarang parkir di depan gerbang sekolah.

Parking is prohibited in front of the school gate.

Breakdown of Dilarang parkir di depan gerbang sekolah.

• di depan: in front of
• gerbang sekolah: the school gate
• parkir: to park
• dilarang: to be prohibited

Questions & Answers about Dilarang parkir di depan gerbang sekolah.

What exactly is the form and literal sense of the word dilarang?

Dilarang is the passive form of the verb larang (to forbid/prohibit) with the prefix di-. Literally, it means “is/are prohibited.” On signs it functions impersonally, implying “It is prohibited” without naming who forbids it.

Why is there no subject like “you” or “people” in the sentence?

Public notices in Indonesian commonly use a subjectless passive. Dilarang already encodes “is prohibited,” so the agent and addressee are left implicit. The reader understands the rule applies to them.

Why is it parkir and not memarkir, memarkirkan, or berparkir?

• On signs, a bare verb after dilarang is common and idiomatic: Dilarang parkir, Dilarang merokok, etc.
• Parkir (a loanword) functions as both a verb and a noun in everyday Indonesian.
• If you mention an object, you can use the active forms: memarkir (mobil) or memarkirkan (mobil).
• Berparkir exists but is rare in everyday speech.

Is Dilarang untuk parkir correct?

It’s widely seen, but many style guides prefer dropping untuk: Dilarang parkir is tighter and more idiomatic. Use untuk only if needed for clarity in longer phrases.

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

• Dilarang: formal rule/ban, typical on signs and regulations.
• Tidak boleh: “not allowed,” neutral; fine in speech or writing.
• Jangan
  • verb: direct imperative “don’t,” used to tell someone not to do something.
    All can convey the same prohibition, but the tone/register differs.

Is the di in dilarang the same as the di in di depan?

No.

• di- attached to larang is a prefix forming the passive verb dilarang (written together).
• di before depan is a preposition meaning “at/in/on” (written separately).
  So: dilarang (one word) but di depan (two words).

Why use di and not ke before depan?

di marks location (“at/in/on”), which fits a prohibition about where parking may not occur. ke marks motion (“to/towards”), which would imply movement: ke depan gerbang = “to in front of the gate.”

Does di depan mean the same as di hadapan or di muka?

• di depan: neutral, most common for “in front of.”
• di hadapan: more formal/literary; often implies “facing,” especially with people/audience.
• di muka: older/formulaic; survives in set phrases like di muka umum (“in public”).

How does gerbang sekolah work grammatically?

It’s a noun–noun compound: head noun gerbang (“gate”) + modifier noun sekolah (“school”), meaning “the school gate.” It’s more natural than gerbang di sekolah (a gate located at a school, more descriptive and less possessive-sounding).

How do I express definiteness like “the school gate” versus “a school gate”?

Indonesian doesn’t obligatorily mark definiteness. Context does the job. If you need to be explicit:

• gerbang sekolah itu / gerbang sekolah tersebut = “that/the school gate.”
• sebuah gerbang sekolah = “a school gate.”
  Avoid gerbangnya sekolah here; it’s not the usual way to mark possession.

Can I reorder it as Parkir di depan gerbang sekolah dilarang?

Yes. That word order is also grammatical and common in notices. Both versions are natural.

What’s the difference between Dilarang parkir and Dilarang berhenti?

• Dilarang parkir: no parking (you may still stop briefly to drop off/pick up, unless otherwise stated).
• Dilarang berhenti: no stopping at all, even briefly.
  Traffic rules treat them differently.

Any common spelling mistakes to avoid?

• Write dilarang (one word), not “di larang.”
• Write di depan (two words), not “didepan.”
  Remember: prepositional di is separate; prefix di- attaches.

How is the phrase pronounced?

• dilarang: di-LA-rang (stress near the end; final ng as in “sing”).
• di depan: di də-PAN (the first e is a schwa, like the a in “sofa”).
• gerbang: gəl-BANG (hard g; ng as in “sing”).
• sekolah: sə-KO-lah (final h is softly audible).

Could I add a noun like “vehicle” for clarity?

Yes: Dilarang memarkir kendaraan di depan gerbang sekolah or Dilarang parkir kendaraan…. It’s more explicit but not required; parkir already implies vehicles.

Is punctuation (like the period) necessary at the end?

In signs, punctuation is often omitted. In regular prose, a period is standard. Both are acceptable depending on context.