Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu.

So Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu literally feels like “My name written on that list”, but in natural English it becomes “My name is written on that list.”
You do not need adalah or any other “to be” verb here.

What does tertulis literally mean, and how is it different from ditulis?

Both come from the root tulis (write), but:

tertulis = written (in a state of being written)
- Focus on the result/state, not on who wrote it.
ditulis = is/was written (by someone)
- Focus on the action and often implies an agent, e.g. ditulis oleh guru (written by the teacher).

In Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu, the idea is “My name is (already) written / appears on that list,” emphasizing the fact, not the writer.

Could I say Nama saya ditulis di daftar itu instead? Is it wrong?

It is grammatically possible, but the nuance changes and it often sounds a bit odd without more context.

Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu
= My name is written / appears on that list. (neutral, about the current state)
Nama saya ditulis di daftar itu (oleh panitia).
= My name was written on that list (by the committee). (talking about the action someone took)

If you just want to say your name appears on the list, tertulis (or ada di) is more natural.

What exactly does the prefix ter- do in tertulis?

The prefix ter- often gives a stative or result meaning: something is in a certain state, often as a result of an action.

With tulis (write):

menulis – to write
ditulis – to be written (action, passive)
tertulis – in written form / written (state/result)

You’ll see similar patterns like:

buka → terbuka (open → opened/open)
lihat → terlihat (see → visible/seen)

So tertulis is “written (down)” as a condition, not “is being written.”

What is di in di daftar itu? Is it the same as the passive prefix di-?

Here di is a preposition meaning at/on/in, not the passive prefix.

As a preposition, it is written separately: di daftar, di meja, di rumah.
As a passive prefix, it is written together with the verb: ditulis, dimasak, dibuka.

So in di daftar itu, di = on/at, and daftar = list.
It has nothing to do with passive voice here.

Could I say di dalam daftar itu or pada daftar itu instead of di daftar itu?

Yes, but there are slight differences in feel:

di daftar itu – the most common and neutral: on that list.
di dalam daftar itu – literally “inside that list,” can sound a bit more formal/emphatic: in that list.
pada daftar itu – more formal/书面 style, often in official or written Indonesian; everyday speech usually prefers di.

In most casual or neutral contexts, di daftar itu is the best choice.

Why is it Nama saya instead of just Saya? Could I say Saya tertulis di daftar itu?

Saya tertulis di daftar itu is technically understandable but sounds odd, because tertulis naturally describes something like text, names, words, not people themselves.

Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu
= My name is written on that list. (natural)
Saya tertulis di daftar itu
= I am written on that list. (strange image)

Indonesian usually makes it explicit that it’s your name (or number, ID, etc.) that is written: Nama saya, nomor saya, ID saya, and so on.

Can I change saya to other pronouns or possessive forms, like namaku?

Yes. Some common variants:

Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu. – neutral, polite.
Namaku tertulis di daftar itu. – more informal, using the suffix -ku = my.
Namamu tertulis di daftar itu. – your name is written on that list.
Namanya tertulis di daftar itu. – his/her/their name is written on that list.
Nama Budi tertulis di daftar itu. – Budi’s name is written on that list.

The structure stays the same; only the possessor changes.

Can I move the words around, like Di daftar itu nama saya tertulis? Does the meaning change?

Yes, Indonesian word order is fairly flexible here, and the meaning stays the same, though the focus can shift slightly.

Possible orders:

Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu. – most common, neutral.
Di daftar itu nama saya tertulis. – puts a bit more focus on that list.
Nama saya di daftar itu tertulis. – possible, but less common; sounds a little clunky.

For learners, it’s safest and most natural to keep: Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu.

How do I make this sentence negative? How do I say “My name is not written on that list”?

You can negate tertulis with tidak:

Nama saya tidak tertulis di daftar itu.
= My name is not written on that list.

If you want to emphasize simple presence/absence, you can also say:

Nama saya tidak ada di daftar itu.
= My name is not on that list.

Tidak tertulis focuses on the writing; tidak ada focuses on the absence on the list.

How do I talk about past or future with this sentence, since there’s no tense marking?

Indonesian does not change the verb form for tense. You add time words instead:

Past:
- Kemarin nama saya tertulis di daftar itu.
  = Yesterday my name was written on that list.
Recently:
- Baru saja nama saya tertulis di daftar itu.
  = My name has just been written on that list.
Future (planned/expected):
- Besok nama saya akan tertulis di daftar itu.
  = Tomorrow my name will be written on that list.

The verb tertulis itself stays the same; context and time expressions show when.

Are there synonyms for tertulis in this sentence, like other ways to say “my name appears on that list”?

Yes, several verbs can be used with slightly different nuances:

Nama saya tercantum di daftar itu. – my name is listed on that list.
Nama saya tertera di daftar itu. – my name is stated/printed on that list.
Nama saya tercatat di daftar itu. – my name is recorded on that list.
Nama saya terdaftar di daftar itu. – my name is registered on that list.

All are more formal than tertulis. In everyday speech, people also often just say:

Nama saya ada di daftar itu. – my name is on that list.

Is Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu formal or informal? How would this sound in casual speech?

Nama saya tertulis di daftar itu is neutral, and slightly on the polite/formal side, mainly because of saya.

In casual speech, especially among friends, you might hear:

Nama aku ada di daftar itu.
Nama gue ada di daftar itu. (Jakarta slang)

They often replace tertulis with ada, which sounds more conversational: “My name is on that list.”