Saya menulis rencana belajar di buku harian.

I write the study plan in the diary.

Breakdown of Saya menulis rencana belajar di buku harian.

• saya: I
• di: in
• menulis: to write
• rencana belajar: the study plan
• buku harian: the diary

Questions & Answers about Saya menulis rencana belajar di buku harian.

Does this sentence mark past, present, or future?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. Saya menulis rencana belajar di buku harian can mean past, present, or future depending on context. Add time/aspect words to clarify:

• Past/perfect: Saya sudah menulis… / Kemarin saya menulis…
• Progressive: Saya sedang menulis…
• Future: Saya akan menulis… / Besok saya akan menulis…

Do I need to say “my” diary (add a possessor)?

If you mean your own diary, it’s natural to add it:

• Neutral: di buku harian saya
• Informal/colloquial: di buku harianku Without a possessor (di buku harian) can mean “in a diary” (indefinite) or “in the diary” (understood from context).

What’s the difference between saya and aku?

• saya: polite/neutral; safe with strangers, in formal settings, and in writing.
• aku: casual/intimate; with friends, family, in songs, or informal writing. Regional/casual alternatives exist (e.g., gue/gua in Jakarta), but stick to saya/aku until you know the register.

Can I drop the subject Saya?

Yes, if the subject is clear from context. You might see/hear:

• Menulis rencana belajar di buku harian. That said, keeping saya is safer in careful writing or when context isn’t clear.

What’s the nuance difference between menulis, menuliskan, and menulisi?

• menulis: the general “to write.” Works everywhere.
  Example: Saya menulis rencana belajar di buku harian.
• menuliskan: often emphasizes “writing something down” (onto a medium) or writing for someone. Often interchangeable with menulis here.
  Example: Saya menuliskan rencana belajar di buku harian.
• menulisi (-i suffix): “to write on/cover a surface with writing.” The object is the surface.
  Example: Anak itu menulisi dinding.
  Using menulisi buku harian would mean writing on the diary’s surface (e.g., scribbling all over it), not composing entries inside it.

Should I use di, di dalam, ke, or pada here?

• di
  • place = at/in/on (static location). Correct here: di buku harian.
• di dalam = explicitly “inside.” More explicit: di dalam buku harian.
• ke = movement “to/toward.” Not used for “write in a diary” (except sometimes in tech talk: “write to a file” = menulis ke berkas).
• pada = “on/at/to” in more abstract or formal senses (times, targets). Not natural for physical location here.

Is the di here the same as the passive prefix di-?

No. In di buku harian, di is a preposition and written separately.
The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs: ditulis = “is/was written.”
Compare: di buku (in the book) vs dibuku (incorrect spacing).

Can I move di buku harian to another position?

Yes, for emphasis or style:

• Fronted (topic): Di buku harian, saya menulis rencana belajar.
• Object fronting (more advanced): Rencana belajar saya tulis di buku harian.
  Avoid splitting the noun phrase awkwardly (e.g., Saya menulis di buku harian rencana belajar sounds odd).

Could di buku harian be read as modifying the noun phrase (the plan that’s in the diary) instead of the verb?

Usually, in your sentence it’s understood as the place of writing. If you mean “the study plan that is in the diary,” make it explicit:

• Saya menulis rencana belajar yang ada di buku harian. If you want to stress the location of the writing, di dalam buku harian saya removes doubt.

What exactly does rencana belajar mean, and how is it different from similar terms?

• rencana belajar: a personal “study plan” (what a student plans to study).
• jadwal belajar: a study schedule (with times).
• rencana pelajaran: a teacher’s lesson plan for a class.
• rencana pembelajaran: formal/educational term for a learning plan.
• rencana studi: a plan of courses (e.g., at university) or academic study plan.

Should it be menulis rencana belajar or menulis tentang rencana belajar?

• menulis rencana belajar = you write the plan itself.
• menulis tentang rencana belajar = you write about the plan (e.g., an article discussing it).

Is buku harian the same as “journal”? What about jurnal or catatan harian?

• buku harian: diary/journal (safe, common).
• jurnal: can mean “journal,” but often an academic journal; for a personal journal, context is needed.
• catatan harian: daily notes/diary entries; can refer to the entries themselves. If you mean a personal journal, buku harian or jurnal pribadi are clear.

Why is it menulis (not “mentulis”)? What happened to the initial “t” in tulis?

The prefix meN- assimilates to the following consonant. With roots starting with t, the t drops and meN- becomes men-:

• tulis → menulis (Similarly: pakai → memakai, sapu → menyapu, kirim → mengirim.)

How do I say “in a diary” (with an “a”)? Do I need an article?

Indonesian has no articles. Context covers it. If you want to emphasize “a/one,” use a numeral classifier:

• di sebuah buku harian = in a diary (one diary, unspecified).