Otobüs büyük ve kırmızı.

to be

Breakdown of Otobüs büyük ve kırmızı.

• büyük: big
• otobüs: the bus
• ve: and
• kırmızı: red

Questions & Answers about Otobüs büyük ve kırmızı.

What does each word in Otobüs büyük ve kırmızı mean?

Otobüs means bus, büyük means big, ve means and, and kırmızı means red.

Why is there no word equivalent to “is” in this sentence?

In Turkish, the present tense copula (the equivalent of “is”) is typically omitted in simple descriptive statements. So instead of saying “The bus is big and red,” Turkish simply states “Otobüs büyük ve kırmızı,” with the meaning of “is” understood from context.

How does the adjective order in Turkish compare to English?

In English, adjectives in a sentence like “The bus is big and red” appear after the linking verb. In Turkish, however, when adjectives are used predicatively (to describe the subject), they follow the noun without any linking verb. Moreover, when adjectives modify a noun directly (attributively), they normally come before the noun—for example, büyük kırmızı otobüs would mean “big red bus.”

Why is there no definite article equivalent to “the” in the sentence?

Turkish does not use articles like “the” or “a/an.” The word otobüs simply means bus, and context is used to determine whether it refers to a specific bus or buses in general.

Do adjectives in Turkish change form to match the noun’s features like gender or number?

No, Turkish adjectives are invariable; they do not change form based on the noun’s gender, number, or case. Whether describing a singular or plural noun, the adjective remains the same.