Sebelum kutipan, bilas tin dan asingkan logam.

Sebelum means before.

Kutipan comes from kutip, which often means to collect or pick up. In this sentence, kutipan means the collection or pickup, most likely a rubbish or recycling collection.

So Sebelum kutipan means Before collection or Before the pickup.

Kutipan is a noun, meaning collection or pickup.

So Sebelum kutipan is a noun phrase: before the collection.

If you used sebelum dikutip, that would mean before it is collected. That is also possible Malay, but it is a different structure:

• Sebelum kutipan = before the collection
• Sebelum dikutip = before being collected

The version in your sentence is shorter and very natural for signs or instructions.

Yes. Here bilas is an imperative verb, meaning rinse.

Malay often uses the basic verb form as a command, especially in instructions, notices, and labels.

So:

• bilas tin = rinse the cans
• asingkan logam = separate the metal

There is no special command ending like in some languages. The plain verb often works as an instruction.

Because bilas specifically means rinse.

• bilas = rinse
• cuci = wash / clean

For recycling instructions, bilas is often the better word, because the idea is usually to quickly rinse out the container, not fully wash it.

So bilas tin means rinse the cans, not necessarily wash the cans thoroughly.

Here tin means a tin/can container, not the metal element tin in a chemistry sense.

In everyday Malay, tin is commonly used for a can, especially a food can or similar metal container.

So bilas tin means rinse the cans.

Context matters: because the sentence is about collection and separating metal, tin clearly refers to containers.

Malay nouns usually do not have to show singular or plural.

So:

• tin can mean a can or cans
• logam can mean metal or metal items/materials, depending on context

Malay often leaves number unstated unless it really matters. If a speaker wants to make the plural explicit, they might say:

• tin-tin
• semua tin

But in short instructions, the simple noun is very normal.

Asingkan means separate, set apart, or put separately.

It is formed from asing, which relates to being separate, different, or distinct, plus -kan, which often turns a word into a verb meaning make something become that way or do that to something.

So:

• asing = separate / different
• asingkan = separate it / set it apart

That is why asingkan logam means separate the metal.

Logam means metal.

In this sentence, it most likely means metal items/materials should be separated from other waste or recyclables.

Because Malay often uses nouns in a broad, general way, logam here can be understood as:

• metal
• metal items
• metal recyclables

The exact English wording depends on the context, but the Malay is natural.

Malay does not normally use articles like the or a/an the way English does.

So a phrase like:

• bilas tin

can mean:

• rinse the can
• rinse a can
• rinse cans

The exact meaning comes from context. In instructions like this, English usually adds the or uses a plural noun, but Malay does not need to.

The comma helps separate the time phrase from the main instructions:

• Sebelum kutipan, = before collection,
• bilas tin dan asingkan logam. = rinse cans and separate metal.

It makes the sentence easier to read, especially in a short notice or instruction.

Malay punctuation is often similar to English here, but in some contexts you may also see short instruction-style writing with little punctuation.

Yes, that would also be natural.

Both are possible:

• Sebelum kutipan, bilas tin dan asingkan logam.
• Bilas tin dan asingkan logam sebelum kutipan.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• putting Sebelum kutipan first highlights the timing
• putting it at the end sounds a bit more like a regular instruction with a time condition attached

Both are understandable and correct.

Yes. Kutipan can have different meanings depending on context, because kutip has several related senses involving collecting or taking.

For example, kutipan can sometimes mean:

• a collection
• a pickup
• a quotation/excerpt

But in this sentence, because of bilas tin and asingkan logam, the intended meaning is clearly collection/pickup, probably in a waste or recycling context.