Dilarang ambil gambar di lobi hotel.

Taking photos in the hotel lobby is prohibited.

Breakdown of Dilarang ambil gambar di lobi hotel.

• di: in
• hotel: the hotel
• lobi: the lobby
• gambar: the photo
• ambil: to take
• dilarang: to be prohibited

Questions & Answers about Dilarang ambil gambar di lobi hotel.

What does dilarang ambil gambar di lobi hotel literally mean, word by word?

Breaking it down:

• dilarang = is forbidden / prohibited
  
  • from the root larang (to forbid) + prefix di- (passive)
• ambil = take
• gambar = picture / photo
• di = in / at
• lobi = lobby
• hotel = hotel

So a very literal rendering is: “Taking pictures is forbidden in the hotel lobby.”

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

Malay often drops the subject when it is general or obvious from context, especially in notices and signs.

Dilarang ambil gambar di lobi hotel is like English signs that say:

• No photography in the hotel lobby
  rather than
• You are not allowed to take photos in the hotel lobby.

The subject is understood to be anyone reading the sign (the public), so Malay simply omits it.

What exactly does dilarang mean, and is it always passive?

Dilarang is the passive form of larang (to forbid).

• larang = to forbid
• melarang = to forbid (active, “someone forbids”)
• dilarang = is forbidden / is prohibited (passive)

In signs, dilarang is very common, for example:

• Dilarang merokok = Smoking is prohibited
• Dilarang masuk = Entry prohibited / Do not enter

Yes, grammatically it is passive, but in usage it functions like an impersonal command or rule: “is not allowed.”

What is the difference between dilarang ambil gambar and jangan ambil gambar?

Both tell you not to take pictures, but the tone and context differ:

• dilarang ambil gambar

  • more formal, more official
  • used on signs, regulations, written rules
  • stronger, like “It is prohibited to take pictures.”

• jangan ambil gambar

  • more direct, like spoken “Don’t take pictures.”
  • used in conversation: a staff member speaking to you, a parent to a child, etc.

So you’d expect dilarang ambil gambar on a printed sign in the hotel lobby, and jangan ambil gambar from a person speaking to you.

Why is it ambil gambar and not mengambil gambar?

Both are possible:

• mengambil gambar = to take pictures (full verb with meN- prefix)
• ambil gambar = to take pictures (bare verb)

In everyday Malay:

• When giving instructions, commands, or on signs, the bare verb (without meN-) is very common:
  • Jangan buang sampah = Don’t throw rubbish
  • Dilarang merokok / Dilarang merokok di sini (this one keeps the prefix)
  • Dilarang ambil gambar

You could say dilarang mengambil gambar and it is grammatically correct and slightly more formal, but dilarang ambil gambar sounds very natural and is commonly used on signs.

Does ambil gambar mean “take a picture” or “take a drawing”? What exactly does gambar mean?

Gambar is a general word for an image. It can mean:

• a photo
• a drawing
• a picture/illustration

In the expression ambil gambar, in modern context, it almost always means take a photo.

Some related vocabulary:

• gambar = picture, image, photo, drawing
• foto / gambar foto = photo (more specifically)
• lukisan = painting
• melukis = to draw / paint

On a hotel sign, dilarang ambil gambar is clearly “No photography”, not “No making drawings.”

Why is it di lobi hotel and not just di lobi or di hotel?

Each option has a slightly different focus:

• di lobi hotel = in the hotel lobby

  • specifies which part of the hotel, and that this lobby belongs to a hotel.

• di lobi = in the lobby

  • understood from context that it’s the hotel’s lobby, but a bit less specific.

• di hotel = in the hotel

  • refers to the whole hotel, not just the lobby.

The phrase lobi hotel works like hotel lobby in English: lobi (lobby) is modified by hotel (of a hotel).

Why is it lobi hotel and not lobi di hotel?

Lobi hotel is a noun + noun structure, like:

• pintu rumah = the house door
• taman bandar = city park
• lobi hotel = hotel lobby

If you say lobi di hotel, it sounds more like “a lobby that is in a hotel”, which is longer and less natural for a sign. Lobi hotel is the standard way to say hotel lobby.

Is this sentence formal, informal, polite, or rude?

Dilarang ambil gambar di lobi hotel is:

• Formal: appropriate for written notices and official signs.
• Impersonal: it doesn’t say you, so it doesn’t feel rude.
• Neutral in politeness: it states a rule rather than begging or scolding.

If you wanted it even more polite, you might see something like:

• Mohon tidak mengambil gambar di lobi hotel.
  (Kindly do not take pictures in the hotel lobby.)

How would I say this in a more conversational way to a guest?

Some natural spoken options:

• Maaf, tak boleh ambil gambar di lobi hotel.
  Sorry, you can’t take pictures in the hotel lobby.

• Maaf ya, di lobi hotel tak boleh ambil gambar.
  Sorry, in the hotel lobby you’re not allowed to take pictures.

• Maaf, dilarang ambil gambar di sini.
  Sorry, taking pictures is prohibited here.

How do you pronounce dilarang ambil gambar di lobi hotel?

Approximate syllable breakdown and stress (Malay stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable, but it’s quite light):

• di-la-rang (dee-LA-rung)
• am-bil (AM-beel; the l is clear, not dark)
• gam-bar (GUM-bar; g as in go, r lightly rolled or tapped)
• di (dee)
• lo-bi (LOH-bee)
• ho-tel (HOH-tel)

Whole sentence (roughly):
dee-LA-rung AM-beel GUM-bar dee LOH-bee HOH-tel.