Learn Hardcore Malay: Di perpustakaan, dilarang bercakap kuat; awak tahu, kan? - In the library, speaking loudly is prohibited; you know, right?

Note: di can also be a prefix (di-) forming the passive voice (for example ditulis = is written), but here it is clearly the separate preposition because it is followed by a noun of place, perpustakaan.

Why does the sentence start with Di perpustakaan? Could I also say Dilarang bercakap kuat di perpustakaan?

Starting with Di perpustakaan is a way to set the scene:

Di perpustakaan, dilarang bercakap kuat
Emphasis: In the library, it is not allowed to speak loudly.

You can absolutely say:

Dilarang bercakap kuat di perpustakaan.

This is also correct and common, especially on signs.
Emphasis: Speaking loudly is forbidden in the library.

The meaning is the same; the difference is mainly in focus and style. Initial di perpustakaan sounds a bit more like spoken or narrative style, while starting with dilarang sounds more like a rule or notice.

What exactly does dilarang mean, and how is it formed?

Dilarang means is/are forbidden, is/are not allowed.

It comes from the root larang (to forbid) with the passive prefix di-:

larang = to forbid
melarang = to forbid (active, someone forbids)
dilarang = is/are forbidden (passive, the action is forbidden)

In this sentence, dilarang bercakap kuat literally feels like (it is) forbidden to speak loudly.

On signs or notices you will often see Dilarang + verb as a standard way to say No [verb-ing] / [Verb-ing] is prohibited:

Dilarang merokok = No smoking / Smoking is prohibited
Dilarang masuk = No entry / Entry is prohibited

Why is there no subject like awak or orang before dilarang?

In Malay, impersonal rules and prohibitions often do not explicitly mention the subject. Instead, the passive form dilarang + verb is used:

Dilarang bercakap kuat. = (It is) forbidden to speak loudly.
Dilarang merokok. = No smoking.

The subject is understood as people in general or anyone here.
If you explicitly add a subject, it sounds less like a general rule and more like you are telling a specific person:

Awak dilarang bercakap kuat. = You are forbidden to speak loudly. (more direct, even scolding)

What is the nuance of bercakap compared to cakap or berkata?

All are related to speaking, but they differ slightly:

cakap (root) = talk/speak (often used in informal speech)
bercakap = to speak / to talk (more complete verb form, slightly more neutral)
berkata = to say (often used in reported speech: dia berkata… = he/she said…)

In dilarang bercakap kuat:

bercakap focuses on the activity of talking.
Using just cakap alone here (dilarang cakap kuat) is very informal; some people do say it conversationally, but on a sign or in neutral speech bercakap sounds better.
berkata would not be natural here, because it is more about saying something (a specific statement), not talking (in general).

Why is it bercakap kuat and not bercakap dengan kuat?

Both patterns exist:

bercakap kuat
bercakap dengan kuat

Here, kuat is used as an adverb-like word, meaning loudly. Malay often lets adjectives directly modify verbs without dengan:

jalan cepat = walk quickly
makan banyak = eat a lot
bercakap kuat = speak loudly

Adding dengan:

bercakap dengan kuat is still grammatically correct but sounds more formal or heavier in this context. In everyday speech and on signs, bercakap kuat is more natural and concise.

What does awak mean here, and how does it differ from anda or kamu?

Awak means you (singular) and is:

Common in Malaysia
Friendly, neutral, often between people who know each other
Can sometimes sound a bit intimate depending on tone and relationship

Comparisons:

anda: polite, more formal, often used in public announcements, advertisements, customer-facing language.
- Example: Anda dilarang bercakap kuat di perpustakaan.
kamu: neutral or slightly distant; in some regions it can sound a bit blunt or even rude if used wrongly, but in others it is normal.
engkau / kau: informal, can be intimate or rough depending on context.

So awak tahu, kan? sounds like you are talking to someone you know (friend, classmate, etc.), not making a formal announcement.

What does the particle kan at the end of awak tahu, kan? do?

Kan at the end of a sentence works like an agreement-checking tag, similar to right?, isn’t it?, you know? in English.

Awak tahu. = You know. (statement)
Awak tahu, kan? = You know, right? / You know that, don’t you?

It suggests the speaker believes the listener already knows or agrees, and is seeking confirmation or softening the statement.

In this sentence, awak tahu, kan? makes the whole thing sound less like a strict rule and more like:

You know that you’re not supposed to talk loudly in the library, right?

Is kan here short for something, like bukan or akan?

Historically, kan is related to bukan (the negative used for nouns/adjectives), and you will sometimes see explanations that kan is a reduced form of bukan.

Functionally, in modern usage at the end of a sentence, kan? is:

A sentence-final particle used like right? / isn’t it?
Not strongly felt as a contraction of bukan by most speakers in everyday speech.

You may also see … bukan? used in a similar way:

Awak tahu, bukan? = You know, don’t you? (more formal/literary)
Awak tahu, kan? = same idea, but casual/colloquial.

So you can think of kan? simply as a casual tag question particle.

Could I say Awak tahu tak? instead of Awak tahu, kan?? What is the difference?

Yes, both are possible, but the nuance is different:

Awak tahu tak?
- Literally: Do you know or not?
- Function: a genuine yes/no question. You are really asking whether the person knows.
- Tone: can sound more direct or questioning.
Awak tahu, kan?
- Function: assuming the person already knows, and just seeking agreement.
- Tone: softer, more like You know this already, right?

So in the original sentence, awak tahu, kan? suggests the rule should already be obvious to the listener.

Is the comma and semicolon (Di perpustakaan, dilarang…, awak tahu, kan?) important in Malay, or could it be written differently?

In everyday writing, punctuation is often more relaxed than in English. This sentence could appear in several ways:

Di perpustakaan dilarang bercakap kuat. Awak tahu, kan?
Di perpustakaan, dilarang bercakap kuat. Awak tahu, kan?
Di perpustakaan dilarang bercakap kuat; awak tahu, kan?

All are understandable. The semicolon in your version reflects the fact that we have two closely related clauses:

Di perpustakaan, dilarang bercakap kuat (the rule)
awak tahu, kan? (checking that the listener knows/accepts it)

In casual text messages, someone might even write:

Di perpustakaan dilarang bercakap kuat, awak tahu kan

without much punctuation at all. The meaning is carried mostly by the words and the context, not by the exact punctuation.

Does this sentence sound polite, rude, or neutral? How could I make it softer or more formal?

As given, the sentence is:

Fairly casual (because of awak and kan?)
Somewhat admonishing, but not extremely rude
Like something you might say to a peer, friend, or younger person when reminding them of the rules.

To make it softer/politer:

Add tolong (please) and a softer verb:
- Di perpustakaan, tolong jangan bercakap kuat, ya.
  = In the library, please don’t speak loudly, okay.

To make it more formal/notice-like:

Use anda and drop the casual kan?:
- Di perpustakaan, anda dilarang bercakap kuat.

Or for a very typical sign:

Dilarang bercakap kuat di perpustakaan.
(No loud talking in the library.)