Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar.

In class, it is forbidden to use a smartphone.

Breakdown of Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar.

• di: in
• kelas: the class
• menggunakan: to use
• telefon pintar: the smartphone
• dilarang: to be forbidden

Questions & Answers about Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar.

Why does the sentence start with Di kelas instead of putting it at the end, like Smartphones are not allowed in class?

Malay is flexible with word order for time/place expressions, and putting Di kelas at the beginning emphasizes the location first: As for in class, it is forbidden to use smartphones.

Both of these are grammatically possible:

• Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar.
• Dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar di kelas.

The meaning is the same; the first just sounds very natural on signs and written rules because it foregrounds the setting (in class) before the rule itself. In everyday speech, both orders are common.

What exactly is dilarang? Is it a verb, an adjective, or like is forbidden?

Dilarang comes from the base word larang (to forbid, to prohibit) with the passive prefix di-, so literally it is is/are forbidden or is/are prohibited.

In this kind of sentence, dilarang behaves like a passive verb in an impersonal statement:

• dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar
  ≈ [it] is forbidden to use smartphones

Malay does not need to say it is; dilarang alone carries the idea that something is prohibited. On signs you’ll often see short phrases like:

• Dilarang merokok – Smoking is forbidden / No smoking
• Dilarang masuk – Entry is forbidden / Do not enter

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

Malay often omits the subject in rules, instructions, and signs. The subject is understood from context as people in general, students, or anyone here.

So Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar is best understood as:

• In class, (people are) forbidden to use smartphones.
• In class, you must not use smartphones.

The language does not need to explicitly say anda (you) or pelajar (students); the rule applies to everyone in that situation.

What is the function of menggunakan here, and how is it formed?

Menggunakan means to use. It is formed from the base guna (use) with the prefix meng- and the suffix -kan:

• guna → menggunakan

The pattern is: meN- + root + -kan to make a transitive verb (a verb that takes an object). So:

• guna → menggunakan – to use (something)
• bantu (help) → membantukan (to make something helpful / to assist with something) – though here menolong is more common in everyday language

In everyday speech, many people shorten menggunakan to guna:

• Di kelas, jangan guna telefon pintar.
  In class, don’t use smartphones.

That is more casual, while menggunakan sounds a bit more formal or neutral.

Could I say Di kelas, tidak boleh menggunakan telefon pintar instead? Does it mean the same thing?

Yes, you can say:

• Di kelas, tidak boleh menggunakan telefon pintar.

This is also natural and means essentially the same: In class, you may not use smartphones.

Differences in nuance:

• dilarang – sounds like an official prohibition, a rule on a sign or in regulations.
• tidak boleh – literally not allowed / cannot, slightly more general and often used in speech.

So:

• Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar. – Very typical for written rules or signs.
• Di kelas, tidak boleh guna telefon pintar. – Very natural in spoken Malay; still fine in writing.

Why telefon pintar and not something like telefon bimbit? Do both mean mobile phone?

• Telefon pintar literally means smart phone (smartphone).
• Telefon bimbit literally means handheld phone, and is often used for mobile phone / cell phone.

In current usage:

• telefon pintar – emphasizes that it’s a smartphone (with apps, internet, etc.).
• telefon bimbit – can mean any mobile phone, including older non-smart models.

In many contexts, especially in casual speech, people won’t strictly separate them, and both may be understood as your phone. A more general sentence could be:

• Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon bimbit.
  In class, using mobile phones is forbidden.

The sentence you have specifically targets smartphones.

What does di mean in di kelas? Is it the same as in or at?

Di is a preposition that generally corresponds to English in, at, or on, depending on context. In di kelas it is closest to in:

• di kelas – in class / in the classroom
• di rumah – at home
• di pejabat – at the office
• di meja – on the table

Malay uses di + noun without an article (no the or a). The exact English preposition depends on the noun and usual English usage, but in Malay it stays di.

Could I say di dalam kelas instead of di kelas? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say:

• Di dalam kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar.

The meaning is still In the class / inside the classroom, it is forbidden to use smartphones.

Differences:

• di kelas – very common and natural; simple in class.
• di dalam kelas – literally inside the class / inside the classroom, slightly more explicit, sometimes a bit more formal or descriptive.

In everyday use, di kelas is usually enough unless you specifically want to stress being inside the classroom, as opposed to outside or in the corridor.

What is the role of the comma after Di kelas?

The comma separates the introductory location phrase Di kelas from the main statement dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar.

In writing, this comma:

• Signals a pause: In class, it is forbidden to use smartphones.
• Helps clarify that Di kelas is an adverbial phrase (telling us where), not the subject.

In speech, people naturally pause there, even though in everyday writing some people might omit the comma. It’s clearer and more standard with the comma.

Is there a more direct command form, like Don’t use smartphones in class?

Yes. A more direct command in Malay typically uses jangan (don’t):

• Jangan gunakan telefon pintar di kelas.
• Jangan guna telefon pintar di kelas. (more casual)

These sound like a teacher speaking directly to students: Don’t use smartphones in class.

By contrast:

• Di kelas, dilarang menggunakan telefon pintar.

sounds more like an impersonal rule or something written in a handbook or on a sign, not a direct command to a specific person at that moment.