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

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?