jangan

In Indonesian, jangan functions as a 'prohibitive' marker. It is the primary way to express a negative imperative.

1. Basic Usage
Place jangan directly before the verb or adjective you want to prohibit.

• Jangan pergi! (Don't go!)
• Jangan takut. (Don't be afraid.)

If you want to specify who you are talking to (the actor) in an active or intransitive command, you can place the pronoun either before or after jangan.

• Kamu jangan pergi. / Jangan kamu pergi. (You, don't go.)
• Kalian jangan ribut. / Jangan kalian ribut. (You all, don't be noisy.)

2. Jangan vs. Tidak Boleh
It is important to distinguish between jangan and tidak boleh. Use jangan for direct commands ("Don't!"). Use tidak boleh to state a rule or a lack of permission ("Not allowed to").

• Jangan masuk! (Don't enter!)
• Kamu tidak boleh masuk. (You are not allowed to enter.)

3. Verb Forms and Register
When giving a command, the meN- prefix is generally dropped from active transitive verbs (e.g., Jangan tutup pintu itu - Don't close that door). However, retaining the prefix is common in formal written registers, such as public notices or rules (e.g., Jangan membuang sampah sembarangan - Don't litter). For public signage, the word dilarang (forbidden) is also frequently used instead of jangan (e.g., Dilarang Parkir - No Parking).

4. Passive Prohibitions
To sound less direct or to focus on the object being acted upon, Indonesian often uses a di- passive verb with jangan.

• Buku ini jangan dibuang. (Don't throw this book away.)

One way to specify who should not perform the action is the pronoun object-voice model below. A di- passive can also express an agent; this is not the only construction that can name one:

• Buku ini jangan kamu buang. (Don't throw this book away.)

5. Politeness
On its own, a bare jangan command can sound quite direct, blunt, or even bossy depending on your intonation. To make it a polite request, add tolong (please) before it. In more formal or written contexts, you can use mohon or harap to soften the command. You can also attach the suffix -lah to form janganlah, which can give the prohibition an exhortative or pleading tone. Its force still depends on context and intonation.

• Tolong jangan merokok di sini. (Please don't smoke here.)
• Mohon jangan berisik. (Please be quiet / Please don't be noisy.)
• Janganlah bersedih. (Please don't be sad.)

6. Modifying with 'Dulu'
A very common construction is jangan... dulu, which means "don't... yet" or "don't... for now."

• Jangan makan dulu. (Don't eat yet.)

7. Common Idioms and Phrases

• Jangan sampai: Used to mean "don't let [something] happen" or "make sure [something] doesn't occur."
• Jangan-jangan: A common idiomatic expression meaning "maybe" or "I suspect that," usually used when expressing a worry or suspicion.
• Jangankan: Meaning "let alone" or "not to mention." This word is almost always paired with pun or saja in the second half of the sentence (e.g., Jangankan mobil, sepeda pun saya tidak punya - Let alone a car, I don't even have a bicycle).
• Supaya jangan / Agar jangan: Used to express negative purpose, meaning "so as not to" or "in order not to" (e.g., Bawa payung supaya jangan kehujanan - Bring an umbrella so you don't get caught in the rain).

Self-Directed Prohibition: Saya jangan makan daging can convey a prohibition or advice directed at oneself in context. It differs from the factual statement Saya tidak makan daging.