The tulis family lets Malay shift attention among the writing activity, its content, the surface written on, its author, and the finished text. Bare tulis appears in commands, object voice, and conversation; menulis is the general actor-voice verb; menuliskan can foreground content or the result of putting it into writing; and menulisi makes a written-on surface the object. Ditulis is passive, while tulisan, penulis, and penulisan name different results and participants.
The suffix contrasts are real, but ordinary Malaysian usage often chooses a simpler menulis + object or menulis pada + surface. Their general formation belongs to Word Formation, especially the suffix -kan guide and suffix -i guide; this page concentrates on the lexical choices within the tulis family.
No person or tense conjugation
| Frame | Present/general | Past context | Future context |
|---|---|---|---|
| root/object voice | Surat itu saya tulis. | Surat itu sudah saya tulis. | Surat itu akan saya tulis. |
| general actor voice | Saya menulis surat. | Saya telah menulis surat. | Saya akan menulis surat. |
| content/result focus | Saya menuliskan alamat. | Saya sudah menuliskan alamat. | Saya akan menuliskan alamat. |
| passive | Alamat itu ditulis. | Alamat itu telah ditulis. | Alamat itu akan ditulis. |
The verb never acquires person or tense endings. Separate aspect words remain separate. Bare tulis is not an infinitive; it is the form required by several ordinary Malay clause patterns.
Tulis: commands, object voice, and conversation
Use bare tulis for direct instructions and when a first- or second-person actor follows the object in object voice.
Tulis nama penuh kamu pada bahagian atas setiap halaman.
Write your full name at the top of every page.
Catatan ini saya tulis semasa menunggu penerbangan ke Kuching.
I wrote this note while waiting for the flight to Kuching.
Alamat yang awak tulis tadi tidak mempunyai poskod.
The address you wrote just now doesn't have a postcode.
Actor-first saya tulis is also common (informal). In careful prose, saya menulis is the neutral actor-voice baseline.
Saya tengah tulis e-mel kepada penyelia; nanti saya hubungi awak.
I'm writing an email to my supervisor; I'll contact you later. (informal)
Menulis: the general writing verb
Menulis covers forming letters, composing a text, recording information, and working as an author. Its object can be the text produced or its content.
Hakim menulis surat kepada datuknya setiap bulan.
Hakim writes a letter to his grandfather every month.
Wartawan itu sedang menulis rencana tentang keselamatan jalan raya.
The journalist is writing an article about road safety.
Sila menulis jawapan dengan jelas menggunakan pen berdakwat hitam.
Please write your answers clearly using a black-ink pen. (formal)
Dia menulis bahawa bekalan air akan dipulihkan sebelum tengah malam.
She wrote that the water supply would be restored before midnight.
In menulis surat, the object is the text produced. In menulis jawapan, it is the information placed into writing. Malay does not require a different verb every time English alternates between write, write down, and compose.
Place a surface in a prepositional phrase when it is not being treated as the direct affected object: menulis pada papan putih, menulis di dalam buku nota. Instrument uses dengan or menggunakan: menulis dengan pensel.
Menuliskan: put content into writing or write for someone
Menuliskan can give greater prominence to the content or completed result. It is natural in requests to write something down and can also express writing on someone else's behalf. In many contexts, simple menulis remains possible; the suffix is not an obligatory translation of English down.
Boleh tuliskan alamat penuh pejabat awak di belakang borang ini?
Could you write down your office's full address on the back of this form?
Jururawat menuliskan waktu temu janji pada sekeping kad kecil.
The nurse wrote the appointment time on a small card.
Oleh sebab tangannya berbalut, dia meminta saya menuliskan sepucuk surat untuknya.
Because his hand was bandaged, he asked me to write a letter for him.
Compare Dia menulis alamat and Dia menuliskan alamat. Both can report the same practical action. The latter more readily presents the address as content deliberately committed to writing or highlights the completed result. This is a tendency in construal, not a rigid English-style lexical split.
Menulisi: make the surface the object
Menulisi means write on or mark a surface. The surface follows directly as the object, while the writing or instrument can be introduced with dengan.
Murid itu menulisi papan-papan kecil tersebut dengan nama pokok yang ditanam.
The pupil wrote the names of the planted trees on the small boards. (marked/careful)
Seseorang telah menulisi dinding stor itu dengan beberapa slogan berwarna merah.
Someone had covered the storeroom wall with several slogans in red. (marked/careful)
This derivative is recognized in standard Malaysian lexicography, but it is less usual in everyday contemporary phrasing than menulis pada/di atas + surface. The required contrast is therefore clearest as a difference in argument structure:
| Pattern | Direct object/perspective | Natural paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| menulis surat | produced text | write a letter |
| menuliskan alamat | content/result | write down an address |
| menulisi papan | affected surface | write on a board |
In ordinary instructions, Jangan tulis pada meja is more natural than choosing menulisi merely to display the suffix. With extensive unwanted marks, menconteng dinding “scribble/graffiti on the wall” may be the more precise verb.
Ditulis and tertulis
Ditulis is the passive counterpart of menulis. It foregrounds the text or information produced.
Laporan itu ditulis oleh tiga orang penyelidik dari universiti tempatan.
The report was written by three researchers from a local university. (academic)
Arahan keselamatan ditulis dalam bahasa Melayu dan bahasa Inggeris.
The safety instructions are written in Malay and English.
Tertulis is a lexicalized result form meaning written, recorded, or stated in writing. It often contrasts with spoken information.
Semua syarat mesti dinyatakan secara bertulis sebelum kontrak ditandatangani.
All conditions must be stated in writing before the contract is signed. (formal)
The fixed phrase here is secara bertulis “in writing.” Passive di- attaches in ditulis, while locative di dalam buku remains separate.
Tulisan, penulis, and penulisan
These nouns are related but not interchangeable.
| Noun | Core meaning | Typical combinations |
|---|---|---|
| tulisan | writing as visible output, script, handwriting, or a text | tulisan tangan, tulisan Jawi |
| penulis | writer/author | penulis novel, penulis laporan |
| penulisan | activity, process, style, or field of writing | gaya penulisan, penulisan akademik |
Tulisan tangannya kecil tetapi mudah dibaca.
Her handwriting is small but easy to read.
Penulis novel itu akan bertemu pembaca di perpustakaan negeri.
The novelist will meet readers at the state library.
Kursus ini memberi tumpuan kepada penulisan akademik yang jelas dan tersusun.
This course focuses on clear, well-organized academic writing. (academic)
Common Mistakes
1. Using bare actor-first tulis in formal prose
⚠️ Penyelidik itu tulis laporan berdasarkan temu bual tersebut.
Too conversational for the intended academic register.
✅ Penyelidik itu menulis laporan berdasarkan temu bual tersebut.
The researcher wrote a report based on those interviews. (academic)
2. Treating content as a written-on surface
❌ Tolong menulisi alamat rumah awak dengan jelas.
Incorrect perspective—an address is content, not the surface being covered.
✅ Tolong tuliskan alamat rumah awak dengan jelas pada sampul ini.
Please write your home address clearly on this envelope.
3. Adding a surface preposition after menulisi
❌ Mereka menulisi pada papan tanda itu dengan cat hitam.
Incorrect frame—menulisi already takes the surface directly.
✅ Mereka menulis pada papan tanda itu dengan cat hitam.
They wrote on the signboard with black paint.
4. Separating passive di-
❌ Nama penerima di tulis pada bahagian hadapan bungkusan.
Incorrect spacing—the passive prefix is attached.
✅ Nama penerima ditulis pada bahagian hadapan bungkusan.
The recipient's name is written on the front of the parcel.
5. Confusing writer with writing process
❌ Penulisan buku itu akan berucap malam ini.
Incorrect noun—penulisan is the writing process, not the person.
✅ Penulis buku itu akan berucap malam ini di dewan utama.
The author of that book will speak tonight in the main hall.
Key Takeaways
Use tulis in commands, object voice, and labeled conversation; use menulis as the broad actor-voice verb. Menuliskan can foreground specified content, result, or a beneficiary, while marked menulisi makes the written-on surface its object. Ditulis is passive; tulisan is visible writing or a text, penulis is the writer, and penulisan is the activity, style, or field of writing.
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