Jangan menyakiti orang lain.

Jangan is used to make a negative command or prohibition. It means don’t in sentences where you are telling someone not to do something.

So:

• Jangan menyakiti orang lain. = Don’t hurt other people.

This is different from simply negating a statement. In Malay, jangan is specifically for commands like:

• Jangan pergi. = Don’t go.
• Jangan lupa. = Don’t forget.

Because tidak is usually used to negate statements, while jangan is used to negate commands.

Compare:

• Dia tidak datang. = He/She is not coming.
  
  • This is a statement.
• Jangan datang. = Don’t come.
  
  • This is a command.

So in Jangan menyakiti orang lain, the speaker is telling someone not to perform an action, so jangan is the correct choice.

Menyakiti means to hurt, to injure, or to cause pain to someone.

In this sentence, it is the action being prohibited:

• menyakiti orang lain = to hurt other people

Depending on context, it can refer to:

• physical hurt
• emotional hurt
• general harm

So the sentence can be understood broadly, not only as physical violence.

It comes from the root sakit, which is a very common Malay word meaning sick, ill, painful, or hurt depending on context.

To turn it into a verb meaning to hurt someone, Malay adds:

• the prefix meN-
• the suffix -i

So:

• sakit → root idea of pain/hurt
• menyakiti → to hurt someone / to cause someone pain

This is a very common pattern in Malay word formation.

This happens because of how the meN- prefix changes shape depending on the first sound of the root.

When meN- is added to a root beginning with s, the s usually disappears and the prefix changes so that you get meny-.

So:

• meN- + sakit + -i → menyakiti

This kind of sound change is normal in Malay. Learners often just memorize the resulting form.

A few similar patterns exist with other initial consonants too, so this is part of a broader system.

This is a very useful distinction.

• menyakiti usually focuses on hurting someone
• menyakitkan usually focuses on causing pain or being painful/hurtful

In other words:

• menyakiti seseorang = to hurt someone
• kata-kata itu menyakitkan = those words are hurtful / painful

In Jangan menyakiti orang lain, the object orang lain is the people being hurt, so menyakiti fits very naturally.

Not necessarily. Menyakiti can refer to:

• physical injury
• emotional pain
• hurting someone in a general sense

So Jangan menyakiti orang lain can mean:

• Don’t physically hurt others.
• Don’t hurt other people’s feelings.
• Don’t harm others.

The exact meaning depends on context.

Orang means person or people, and lain means other or another.

Together, orang lain means:

• other people
• others

In this sentence, it refers to people other than yourself or the person being addressed.

So:

• Jangan menyakiti orang lain. = Don’t hurt other people / Don’t hurt others.

Because Malay often does not need plural marking when the meaning is already clear from context.

So:

• orang lain can already mean other people
• orang-orang lain is possible in some contexts, but it is not necessary here and often sounds less natural

Malay uses reduplication for plurals sometimes, but not as automatically as English uses -s. Very often, the simple noun is enough.

Yes, the subject is understood, not stated.

In commands, Malay often leaves out the subject, just like English often does:

• Sit down.
• Don’t run.

The implied subject is usually you.

So Jangan menyakiti orang lain really means:

• You, don’t hurt other people.

But Malay normally does not need to say kamu or anda here unless the speaker wants extra emphasis.

Yes, that is also possible, especially in command style.

Malay imperatives often use a shorter form without meN-, so:

• Jangan menyakiti orang lain
• Jangan sakiti orang lain

Both can be understood as Don’t hurt other people.

Very generally:

• the version with menyakiti sounds more like a full standard verb form
• the version with sakiti can sound more direct and imperative

In many real situations, both are acceptable.

It is a natural and standard sentence. It sounds like:

• advice
• a rule
• a moral instruction
• something a parent, teacher, or sign might say

It is neutral in tone. It is not especially slangy, and it is not overly formal either.

Possible alternatives include:

• Jangan sakiti orang lain.
• Jangan menyakiti sesama manusia. = Don’t hurt fellow human beings.
• Usah menyakiti orang lain. = Don’t hurt others.
  
  • Usah is another prohibitive form, but jangan is more common for learners to know first.

The structure is:

• Jangan
  • verb
    • object

So:

• Jangan = don’t
• menyakiti = hurt
• orang lain = other people

This is a very common command pattern in Malay.

Unlike a full statement, there is no stated subject here because commands usually leave it out.