Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Catatan penting ditulis sebelum rapat dimulai. - Important notes are written before the meeting starts.

It’s the passive voice marked by the prefix di-: ditulis = “be written.” The agent (who writes) is omitted. You can add one with oleh if you need to specify it: Catatan penting ditulis oleh sekretaris sebelum rapat dimulai.

Why are there two passives, ditulis and dimulai?

Both verbs are in the di- passive. Catatan penting ditulis = “important notes are/were written,” and rapat dimulai = “the meeting is/was started.” This is normal Indonesian. Alternatives include the intransitive rapat mulai (more colloquial) or an active clause when the subject is known: Sebelum kami memulai rapat, kami menulis catatan penting.

How would I say this in the active voice?

Examples:

Sekretaris menulis catatan penting sebelum rapat dimulai.
Kami menulis catatan penting sebelum memulai rapat.

What does sebelum do here?

Sebelum is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before,” introducing the time clause rapat dimulai. The time clause can also be fronted: Sebelum rapat dimulai, catatan penting ditulis.

Can I move the time clause to the front?

Yes: Sebelum rapat dimulai, catatan penting ditulis. Both orders are natural; fronting the time clause sets the scene first.

What tense is this? Does ditulis mean “are written,” “were written,” or “will be written”?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Ditulis could be present, past, or future depending on context. Add adverbs if needed:

Past: Catatan penting sudah ditulis sebelum rapat dimulai.
Future: Catatan penting akan ditulis sebelum rapat dimulai.
Habitual: Catatan penting biasanya ditulis sebelum rapat dimulai.

Do I need oleh to mention the doer?

No. The passive without oleh is very common. Use oleh when you must name the agent: … ditulis oleh sekretaris … In casual speech, people often still omit it if the agent is clear from context.

Is rapat dimulai the same as rapat mulai?

They’re close in meaning, but:

Rapat dimulai (passive) is common and a bit more formal.
Rapat mulai treats mulai intransitively and sounds simpler/more colloquial. You’ll also hear aspect markers: Rapat sudah mulai (“The meeting has started”).

How are mulai, memulai, and dimulai different?

mulai: “to begin/start” (often intransitive): Rapat mulai jam 9.
memulai: “to start (something)” (transitive): Panitia memulai rapat jam 9.
dimulai: passive of memulai: Rapat dimulai jam 9.

Is catatan penting singular or plural?

It’s ambiguous. To force singular, say sebuah catatan penting. For plural, beberapa catatan penting or catatan-catatan penting. To make it definite, add itu or -nya: catatan penting itu/catatan pentingnya.

Why is the adjective after the noun (why not “penting catatan”)?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually follow the noun: catatan penting (“important notes”), rapat besar (“big meeting”).

What’s the difference between catatan penting and catatan yang penting?

catatan penting: descriptive, “important notes” in general.
catatan yang penting: restrictive/contrastive, “the notes that are important (as opposed to other notes).” Example: Ambil catatan penting (any important notes) vs Ambil catatan yang penting (take the ones that are important).

Difference between ditulis and dituliskan?

Both are passive, but dituliskan (with -kan) often adds a benefactive/location nuance (“written down for someone / written onto something”) and can sound heavier. Here, plain ditulis is most natural. Example: Nama Anda dituliskan di daftar (“written down on the list”) vs Catatan penting ditulis…

Difference between ditulis and tertulis?

ditulis describes the action (was/is written by someone). tertulis describes a state/result (“written; in writing”). Examples:

Aturan itu ditulis oleh ketua.
Aturan itu tertulis di papan.

Is di here a prefix or the preposition “at/in”? How do I spell it?

It’s the passive prefix di-, written together with the verb: ditulis, dimulai. The preposition di (“at/in”) is written separately: di kantor, di papan. Don’t write di tulis/di mulai.

Could this sentence be an instruction?

Yes. Passive sentences without an agent often function as formal instructions. To make it explicit, add a modal: Catatan penting harus ditulis sebelum rapat dimulai.

Can I say sebelum dimulainya rapat?

Yes. That’s a nominalized form and sounds formal: Catatan penting ditulis sebelum dimulainya rapat. It’s equivalent in meaning to sebelum rapat dimulai.

Is there a more colloquial way to mark the agent than oleh?

In casual speech, sama often replaces oleh: Catatan penting ditulis sama sekretaris. Avoid sama in formal writing; use oleh or omit the agent.

What about the “short passive” like Catatan penting kami tulis?

That’s another passive pattern (often called passive type 2) using a pronoun as the agent and the bare verb: Catatan penting kami/saya tulis sebelum rapat dimulai. It equals active Kami/Saya menulis catatan penting… and is very natural.