Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Burung hantu itu tinggal di sudut kebun binatang di mana suasananya lebih sunyi. - That owl lives in the corner of the zoo where the atmosphere is quieter.

Literally, burung hantu is “ghost bird” (burung = bird, hantu = ghost).
Despite the literal meaning, the fixed expression burung hantu simply means owl in Indonesian. It’s a set phrase: Indonesians do not usually think “ghost bird” when they hear it; they just think “owl,” much like “butterfly” is not thought of as “butter + fly” in everyday English.

Can I use hantu by itself to mean owl?

No.
Hantu alone just means ghost/spirit.

burung hantu = owl
hantu = ghost

If you say hantu itu, people will think you are talking about a ghost, not an owl.

Why is itu after burung hantu instead of before it, and what does it do?

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that/the) normally come after the noun phrase:

burung = a bird / birds (general)
burung itu = that bird / the bird
burung hantu itu = that owl / the owl

Here itu is not pointing to physical distance; it mainly makes the noun definite (like English the owl).
Without itu, burung hantu could mean an owl or owls in general; with itu, it refers to a specific owl.

Could I leave out itu and just say Burung hantu tinggal di sudut kebun binatang …?

Yes, that is grammatically fine, but the nuance changes slightly:

Burung hantu tinggal di … can sound more generic: “Owls live in the corner of the zoo …” (talking about owls in general, or at least not a particular individual).
Burung hantu itu tinggal di … points to a specific owl that both speaker and listener know about: “The owl lives in the corner of the zoo …”

In many contexts both could translate as the owl, but Indonesians feel the specificity more strongly with itu.

What is the difference between tinggal and hidup for “live” here?

Both can translate as to live, but they’re used differently:

tinggal di [place] = to live/reside/stay in a place
- Burung hantu itu tinggal di sudut kebun binatang.
  → The owl lives (resides) in the corner of the zoo.
hidup = to be alive / to live (as in “to exist,” not necessarily where you live)
- Burung hantu itu masih hidup.
  → The owl is still alive.

So for “X lives in/at Y,” you normally want tinggal di Y, not hidup di Y.

How does di sudut kebun binatang work grammatically? Why isn’t there another di before kebun binatang?

Di sudut kebun binatang is structured like this:

di = in/at
sudut = corner
kebun binatang = zoo

sudut kebun binatang is a noun + noun construction meaning “the corner of the zoo”. Indonesian often uses simple noun–noun sequences instead of of:

sudut kebun binatang = corner (of) the zoo
pintu rumah = the door (of) the house

So:

di [sudut kebun binatang] = in the corner of the zoo

Adding another di (di sudut di kebun binatang) would be incorrect here.

Is there a difference between sudut and pojok for “corner”?

Both can mean corner, but there are some tendencies:

pojok:
- Very common in everyday speech.
- Often for physical corners of rooms, streets, etc.
- di pojok kamar = in the corner of the room.
sudut:
- Used for both physical corners and more abstract meanings like angles or viewpoints.
- Common in slightly more formal or written language.
- sudut pandang = point of view; sudut 90 derajat = 90-degree angle.

In your sentence, di sudut kebun binatang could naturally be replaced by di pojok kebun binatang without changing the meaning much, but sudut sounds a bit more neutral/formal.

What exactly does kebun binatang mean, and is it one word or two?

Literally:

kebun = garden
binatang = animal

So kebun binatang means “animal garden”, i.e. a zoo.
It is normally written as two words: kebun binatang.

You might also see:

bonbin (colloquial contraction of kebun binatang)
taman margasatwa, taman safari, etc., for specific kinds or names of zoos/wildlife parks.

How is di mana being used here if this is not a question?

Di mana literally means where, and it can be:

A question word:
- Burung hantu itu tinggal di mana?
  → Where does the owl live?
A relative connector, similar to “where” in English, linking a noun to a clause that describes it:
- … di sudut kebun binatang di mana suasananya lebih sunyi.
  → … in the corner of the zoo where the atmosphere is quieter.

So in your sentence, di mana functions as a relative word, not as a question.

Could I replace di mana with yang in this sentence, and would that be more correct?

Yes, you can say:

Burung hantu itu tinggal di sudut kebun binatang yang suasananya lebih sunyi.

Many style guides consider yang the more “proper” relative marker in formal written Indonesian, especially after a noun:

sudut kebun binatang yang suasananya lebih sunyi
= the corner of the zoo whose atmosphere is quieter / where the atmosphere is quieter

However, using di mana in this way is very common in actual speech and writing, even though some teachers and grammarians dislike it in formal contexts. For everyday use, both are widely understood and natural.

What does suasananya mean exactly, and what is the role of -nya here?

Base word:

suasana = atmosphere, ambience, mood (of a place or situation)

With -nya attached:

suasananya can mean:
- the atmosphere (definite)
- its atmosphere / the atmosphere there

In this sentence, suasananya refers back to sudut kebun binatang:

di mana suasananya lebih sunyi
= where the atmosphere there is quieter.

The suffix -nya often marks definiteness (“the”) or possessive meaning (“its/his/her/their”), and here it has a mix of “the / there / its” nuance.

How does lebih work here, and how would I say “the quietest” instead of “quieter”?

Lebih means more and is used to form the comparative of adjectives:

lebih + adjective = more [adjective]
- lebih sunyi = quieter / more silent
- lebih besar = bigger

If you want to mention what it’s being compared to, you add daripada:

Suasananya lebih sunyi daripada bagian lain kebun binatang.
→ The atmosphere is quieter than in other parts of the zoo.

For the superlative (“the most / -est”), you usually use paling:

paling sunyi = the quietest / most silent
Sudut itu yang paling sunyi.
→ That corner is the quietest.

What is the nuance of sunyi compared with words like sepi and tenang?

All three relate to “quiet,” but with different shades:

sunyi
- Quiet, silent, often with a sense of emptiness or desertedness.
- Can feel a bit lonely.
- Jalan itu sangat sunyi malam hari. = That road is very deserted/quiet at night.
sepi
- Quiet, not many people, not busy.
- Focus on low activity / few people, not necessarily lonely.
- Pantai itu sepi. = That beach is quiet / not crowded.
tenang
- Calm, peaceful, not noisy or disturbed.
- Can be emotional or environmental calm.
- Suasananya tenang. = The atmosphere is calm/peaceful.

In your sentence, lebih sunyi suggests a quieter, more still and possibly a bit lonely corner of the zoo, which fits an owl’s typical habitat.