Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya menulis nota di papan.

I write notes on the board. (habitual)
I am writing a note on the board. (right now)
I wrote a note on the board. (past, if the context makes that clear)
I will write a note on the board. (future, if indicated by other words like akan)

Tense or time is usually shown by:

Time words: semalam (yesterday), sekarang (now), nanti (later)
Optional markers: sudah / telah (already), akan (will), sedang / tengah (in the middle of doing)

Examples:

Saya sedang menulis nota di papan. = I am (currently) writing a note on the board.
Saya sudah menulis nota di papan. = I have already written a note on the board.
Saya akan menulis nota di papan. = I will write a note on the board.

Why is it menulis and not just tulis?

Tulis is the root verb meaning “write”.
Menulis is the meN- form of that verb, and in Malay:

The root form (tulis) is commonly used:
- As an imperative: Tulis nota di papan. = Write the notes on the board.
- In dictionaries.
- In some fixed expressions.
The meN- form (menulis) is the normal “finite verb” used as a statement:
- Saya menulis nota di papan. = I write / am writing a note on the board.

So:

Statement: Saya menulis nota di papan. (natural)
Command: Tulis nota di papan. (natural)
Saying Saya tulis nota di papan is possible in informal speech, but Saya menulis… is more standard/neutral.

Why is nota singular in Malay when in English we might say “I write notes on the board”?

Malay usually does not mark plural with an ending like English -s.
Nota can mean “note” or “notes” depending on context.

So:

Saya menulis nota di papan.
- could be translated as I write a note on the board, or
- I write notes on the board, depending on what you want to express.

If you really want to emphasise plurality, you can say:

nota-nota (reduplication) – often means “several notes / various notes”.
Or add a number or quantifier:
- beberapa nota = several notes
- banyak nota = many notes
- dua nota = two notes

Example:

Saya menulis beberapa nota di papan. = I write several notes on the board.

Does papan specifically mean blackboard/whiteboard, or just any “board”?

Papan literally means “board / plank”, a flat piece of wood or board-like object.

To be more specific:

papan tulis = writing board (generic word for blackboard/whiteboard)
papan putih = whiteboard (literally “white board”)
papan hitam = blackboard (“black board”)

So:

Saya menulis nota di papan. = I write a note on the board. (context decides what kind of board)
More natural in a classroom context:
- Saya menulis nota di papan tulis.
- Saya menulis nota di papan putih.

Using just papan is grammatically fine but can feel a bit vague unless you’ve already mentioned what board you mean.

What exactly does di mean here, and what’s the difference between di and pada?

In this sentence, di is the preposition for location, similar to “at / in / on” depending on context.

Saya menulis nota di papan.
Literally: I write a note at/on the board.

di is used for:

Physical places: di rumah (at home), di sekolah (at school), di meja (on/at the table), di papan (on the board).

pada:

Is more formal, often used for abstract things, time, or indirect objects:
- pada masa itu = at that time
- pada pendapat saya = in my opinion
- berkata pada saya = said to me

In everyday modern Malay:

For physical locations, di is the normal choice.
You would not usually say Saya menulis nota pada papan.
di papan is the natural form here.

Is the word order fixed? Can I say Saya di papan menulis nota instead?

The neutral, most natural order is:

[Subject] [Verb] [Object] [Location]
→ Saya menulis nota di papan.

Other orders are possible, but they often sound:

More literary,
Or used to emphasise a particular element.

Saya di papan menulis nota is grammatically understandable, but it sounds unusual and marked. It might be interpreted as:

“I, at the board, (am) writing notes.” (putting stronger focus on di papan)

For normal speech and writing, stick to:

Saya menulis nota di papan.

Can I leave out Saya and just say Menulis nota di papan?

Yes, in Malay, the subject is often dropped when it’s clear from context.

Menulis nota di papan.
Could mean “(I/you/he/she) am/is writing a note on the board”, depending on context.

However:

In a textbook or isolated example sentence, including Saya is better for clarity.
In conversation, once it’s clear who’s being talked about, speakers often omit saya, dia, etc.

Also note:

Saya is the polite / neutral “I”.
Aku is a more informal / intimate “I” (used with close friends, etc.):
- Aku menulis nota di papan.

How do I say “I am writing a note on the board right now” more explicitly?

To emphasise an action happening right now, Malay commonly uses sedang or tengah before the verb:

Saya sedang menulis nota di papan.
Saya tengah menulis nota di papan. (more informal)

Both mean: I am (currently) writing a note on the board.

Structure:

Saya (subject)
sedang / tengah (progressive marker)
menulis (verb)
nota (object)
di papan (location)

How do I say “I wrote a note on the board yesterday”?

To show past time, Malay usually relies on:

Time expressions (like semalam = yesterday),
Optional markers like sudah / telah (“already, have”).

You can say:

Semalam saya menulis nota di papan.
= Yesterday I wrote a note on the board.
Saya telah menulis nota di papan semalam.
= I wrote / have written a note on the board yesterday. (more formal)
Saya sudah menulis nota di papan semalam.
= I (already) wrote a note on the board yesterday. (quite natural)

The verb form menulis itself doesn’t change; the time words and sudah/telah give the past meaning.

Why is there no word for “the” in di papan? How do I say “on the board” vs “on a board”?

Malay usually doesn’t have a direct equivalent of the English articles “a / an / the”.
Papan can be “a board” or “the board” depending on context.

To show definiteness (a specific board), Malay often uses:

itu = that / the (previously mentioned)
ini = this

For example:

Saya menulis nota di papan itu.
= I write a note on that board / the board (we both know).
Saya menulis nota di papan ini.
= I write a note on this board.

Without ini / itu, di papan could be:

on a board (introducing it), or
on the board (if context already makes it clear, e.g. you’re in a classroom and there’s only one board).

What is the difference in politeness or tone between Saya menulis nota di papan and Aku menulis nota di papan?

The verb and structure are the same; the difference is the pronoun:

Saya = polite, neutral, used in:
- Formal situations
- With strangers, elders, superiors
- In writing, news, speeches, etc.
Aku = informal / intimate, used:
- With close friends
- With family (depending on region/family norms)
- In songs, poems, personal writing

So:

Saya menulis nota di papan.
= Polite/neutral “I write a note on the board.”
Aku menulis nota di papan.
= More casual/intimate “I write a note on the board.”

Meaning is the same; level of formality changes.

How would I turn this into a command: “Write the notes on the board”?

For commands, Malay normally uses the root verb (without the meN- prefix):

Tulis nota di papan.
= Write the notes on the board.

Structure:

Tulis (imperative form of tulis / menulis)
nota (object)
di papan (location)

If you want to be more polite, you can soften it:

Sila tulis nota di papan. = Please write the notes on the board.
Tolong tulis nota di papan. = Please (do me a favour and) write the notes on the board.