Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.

That wolf lives in the dense forest.

Breakdown of Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.

• itu: that
• di: in
• hutan: the forest
• lebat: dense
• tinggal: to live
• serigala: the wolf

Questions & Answers about Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.

What exactly does itu mean in serigala itu? Is it that wolf or the wolf?

Itu is a demonstrative that literally means that, but very often functions like English the when you’re talking about a specific, known thing.

• Serigala itu can be:
  • that wolf (the one over there / just mentioned), or
  • the wolf (a specific wolf already known in the context).

So serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat is most naturally The wolf lives in the dense forest or That wolf lives in the dense forest, depending on context.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence? Why not something like serigala itu adalah tinggal di hutan lebat?

Indonesian usually doesn’t use a separate verb to be (like is/are) before a main verb.

• Tinggal itself is the verb to live / to reside.
• You do not say adalah tinggal; that’s ungrammatical.

Correct patterns:

• Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
  → The/That wolf lives in the dense forest.
• Serigala itu adalah hewan buas.
  → Here adalah links a noun to a noun (wolf = a wild animal), not to a verb.

Use adalah only to link a subject to a noun phrase, not before an action verb like tinggal.

How can I tell what tense this is? Does tinggal mean lives, lived, or will live?

On its own, tinggal has no tense. Indonesian verbs don’t change form for past/present/future. Context or time words tell you the tense.

• Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
  → Usually understood as a general fact: The wolf lives in the dense forest.
• Add time words to be explicit:
  • dulu (in the past):
    Dulu, serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
    → In the past, that wolf lived in the dense forest.
  • sekarang (now):
    Sekarang, serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
    → Now, that wolf lives in the dense forest.
  • akan (will):
    Serigala itu akan tinggal di hutan lebat.
    → That wolf will live in the dense forest.

What’s the difference between tinggal and hidup? Don’t they both mean to live?

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

• tinggal = to live / reside / stay (in a place)
  → Focus on where someone lives.

  • Saya tinggal di Jakarta. = I live in Jakarta.
  • Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat. = The wolf lives (resides) in the dense forest.

• hidup = to live / be alive
  → Focus on being alive, not where you live.

  • Serigala itu masih hidup. = That wolf is still alive.
  • Makhluk ini tidak bisa hidup tanpa air. = This creature cannot live without water.

So in this sentence, tinggal di hutan lebat is correct, because it’s about where the wolf resides.

What does di mean in di hutan lebat? How is it different from ke?

di marks a location: in / at / on (depending on context).

• di hutan lebat = in the dense forest.

ke marks movement toward a place: to / into.

Compare:

• Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
  → The wolf lives in the dense forest. (location)
• Serigala itu berjalan ke hutan lebat.
  → The wolf walks to the dense forest. (movement)

Is hutan lebat like forest dense? Why is the adjective lebat after the noun hutan?

Yes, Indonesian normally puts adjectives after the noun they describe:

• hutan lebat = dense forest (literally: forest dense)
• buku baru = new book
• rumah besar = big house

So:

• Noun + Adjective → hutan lebat (forest dense)
• In English → dense forest

This word order (noun then adjective) is standard in Indonesian.

Could I say hutan yang lebat instead of hutan lebat? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say hutan yang lebat, but there’s a nuance:

• hutan lebat
  → basic noun + adjective: dense forest (very natural and common).

• hutan yang lebat
  → literally forest that is dense.
  → often sounds a bit more descriptive or slightly more formal/emphatic, like you’re really specifying that this forest is the dense one.

In this simple sentence, di hutan lebat is the most natural everyday form.
di hutan yang lebat is also correct but may feel a bit heavier or more descriptive.

Why is there no word for a or the before hutan like in English?

Indonesian usually doesn’t use separate words equivalent to English a/an/the. Definiteness is understood from context, or from words like itu / ini.

• hutan lebat can be:
  • a dense forest
  • the dense forest depending on context.

In your sentence:

• Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
  → Most naturally: The/That wolf lives in a dense forest or in the dense forest, depending on previous context.

The article is not expressed directly; your translation into English supplies a or the as needed.

What’s the difference between serigala itu and seekor serigala?

They both involve one wolf, but the focus is different:

• serigala itu

  • that/the wolf (specific, known, identifiable)
  • You and the listener know which wolf you mean.

• seekor serigala

  • a wolf / one wolf (introducing a new, unspecified wolf)
  • seekor is a classifier for animals, meaning one (animal).

Examples:

• Seekor serigala tinggal di hutan lebat.
  → A wolf lives in a dense forest. (introducing a wolf)
• Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
  → The/That wolf lives in the dense forest. (a specific wolf already known or previously mentioned)

How would I say Wolves live in dense forests (plural) in Indonesian?

Several options are natural:

1. Serigala tinggal di hutan lebat.

   • Often understood as wolves live in dense forests from context.
   • Indonesian doesn’t always mark plural explicitly.

2. Serigala-serigala tinggal di hutan lebat.

   • Reduplication marks plural: wolves.
   • Sounds a bit more explicit/emphatic.

3. Para serigala tinggal di hutan lebat.

   • para often means the (group of) …, used with people more than animals, but can be used in literary or stylistic language.

In everyday usage, the simplest Serigala tinggal di hutan lebat is usually enough; context tells you it’s plural.

Can I move itu to the end of the sentence, like Serigala tinggal di hutan lebat itu? What would that mean?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

• Serigala itu tinggal di hutan lebat.
  → That/The wolf lives in a dense forest.
  (itu points to serigala.)

• Serigala tinggal di hutan lebat itu.
  → The wolf lives in that dense forest.
  (itu now points to hutan lebat, making that dense forest.)

So:

• [serigala itu] = that wolf
• [hutan lebat itu] = that dense forest

The position of itu shows which noun is being specified.

What is the basic word order in this sentence, and is it the normal order in Indonesian?

The sentence follows the typical Indonesian word order:

• Serigala itu (Subject)
• tinggal (Verb)
• di hutan lebat (Prepositional phrase: Location)

So it’s S–V–(O/Complement), similar to English Subject–Verb–Object/Complement.

This Subject + Verb + Place order is very natural and standard in Indonesian:

• Saya tinggal di Jakarta. = I live in Jakarta.
• Mereka belajar di sekolah. = They study at school.

Your sentence fits this normal pattern.