Saat panas, kami menyalakan kipas angin di ruang tamu yang sunyi.

When it’s hot, we turn on the fan in the quiet living room.

Breakdown of Saat panas, kami menyalakan kipas angin di ruang tamu yang sunyi.

• sebuah: a
• di: in
• panas: hot
• kami: we
• menyalakan: to turn on
• yang: who
• ruang tamu: the living room
• saat: when
• sunyi: quiet
• kipas angin: the fan

Questions & Answers about Saat panas, kami menyalakan kipas angin di ruang tamu yang sunyi.

What does "saat" mean here, and how is it different from "ketika," "waktu," or "kalau"?

All can mean "when," but they differ in tone:

• saat: neutral and common in both spoken and written Indonesian.
• ketika: a bit more formal/literary, often used in narratives.
• waktu: everyday, conversational.
• kalau: conversational; can mean "if" or "when" depending on context.

All fit here: "Saat/Ketika/Waktu/Kalau panas, ..."

Is "panas" an adjective or a noun here? Why is there no subject like "it"?

Indonesian often omits an explicit subject. Panas can act like an adjective or a noun ("heat"). "Saat panas" is understood as "When it's hot (outside)". If you want to be explicit:

• Saat cuaca panas, ...
• Saat udara sedang panas, ... Colloquial: Kalau lagi panas, ...

Why use "kami" instead of "kita"?

• kami = we (excluding the listener).
• kita = we (including the listener). Use kami if the person you’re talking to is not part of the group; use kita if they are.

Is "menyalakan" the best verb for "turn on"? What about "menghidupkan"?

Both are natural for devices:

• menyalakan kipas angin/TV/lampu
• menghidupkan kipas angin/TV/lampu To turn off, use mematikan (most common for devices). Memadamkan is “to extinguish” (fires; sometimes lights, esp. in formal contexts).

What’s the root of "menyalakan"? How is it different from "menyala" and "nyalakan"?

• Root: nyala (“flame/glow/on”).
• menyala: intransitive “to be on/burning” (Lampu menyala = The light is on).
• menyalakan: transitive/causative “to turn on” (Saya menyalakan lampu).
• nyalakan: imperative “Turn on ...” (Nyalakan kipas angin!).

What does "kipas angin" literally mean? Can I just say "kipas"?

• kipas angin literally “wind fan,” i.e., an electric fan (unambiguous).
• kipas can mean any fan (handheld or electric). In casual speech many people just say kipas. Note: “fan” as a person (admirer) is penggemar.

Should it be "di ruang tamu" or "di dalam ruang tamu"?

Both are correct:

• di ruang tamu = in the living room (default, most common).
• di dalam ruang tamu = inside the living room (adds “inside” emphasis). Avoid pada ruang tamu for location; pada isn’t used for physical location like this.

What does "yang" do in "ruang tamu yang sunyi"? Can I drop it?

yang introduces a modifier for a noun (“that/which/is”). Here it links the adjective to the noun: “the living room that is quiet.” You can also say ruang tamu sunyi; both are grammatical. With a simple adjective, dropping yang is fine; yang is essential for longer modifiers or relative clauses (e.g., ruang tamu yang kami pakai).

Does "sunyi" mean “quiet,” “empty,” or “peaceful”? How does it differ from "sepi," "tenang," and "hening"?

• sunyi: very quiet, often with a “lonely/desolate” feel.
• sepi: quiet because few people/low activity (“not crowded”).
• tenang: calm/peaceful (mood/atmosphere).
• hening: pin‑drop silence, very still (often poetic). In this sentence, sunyi suggests a very quiet, possibly empty-feeling living room.

Why is there a comma after "Saat panas"?

Indonesian places a comma after a fronted adverbial phrase. So Saat panas, ... is standard punctuation. Omitting it in casual writing isn’t catastrophic, but the comma is recommended.

Can I move "di ruang tamu yang sunyi" to another position?

Yes; Indonesian word order is flexible. Examples:

• Kami menyalakan kipas angin di ruang tamu yang sunyi saat panas.
• Di ruang tamu yang sunyi, saat panas, kami menyalakan kipas angin. (heavier fronting, more formal/poetic) The meaning stays the same; placement shifts emphasis.

Can I drop "kami"?

Indonesian can drop subjects if context makes them clear, but here dropping kami would either sound like an instruction or be unclear. If you want an instruction, use the imperative:

• Saat panas, nyalakan kipas angin di ruang tamu yang sunyi. If you mean a habitual action by “we,” keep kami (or kita if inclusive).