Bu büyük bir gezegendir.

this

Breakdown of Bu büyük bir gezegendir.

• bir: a
• büyük: big
• gezegen: a planet

Questions & Answers about Bu büyük bir gezegendir.

What does each part of Bu büyük bir gezegendir do?

Here is the breakdown:

• Bu = this
• büyük = big / large
• bir = a / an (or one, depending on context)
• gezegen = planet
• -dir = a copular ending, roughly is, often with a slightly formal, definite, or explanatory tone

So the sentence means This is a big planet.

Why is there no separate word for is?

In Turkish, the verb to be is often not expressed as a separate word in simple present-tense sentences.

So instead of using a separate word like English is, Turkish usually just puts the predicate after the subject:

• Bu büyük bir gezegen. = This is a big planet.

The ending -dir can be added:

• Bu büyük bir gezegendir.

That makes the sentence sound more formal, more definite, or more like a statement of fact.

What exactly does -dir mean here?