Arkadaşım balık pişiriyor, ben sebze pişiriyorum.

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Breakdown of Arkadaşım balık pişiriyor, ben sebze pişiriyorum.

• benim: my
• arkadaş: the friend
• pişirmek: to cook
• sebze: the vegetable
• balık: the fish

Questions & Answers about Arkadaşım balık pişiriyor, ben sebze pişiriyorum.

What does Arkadaşım mean, and how is it formed in Turkish?

Arkadaşım translates to my friend. The base word arkadaş means friend, and the suffix -ım attaches to show possession (i.e., my). Turkish commonly uses such possessive suffixes to indicate ownership.

How do the verb forms pişiriyor and pişiriyorum indicate the subjects performing the actions?

The form pişiriyor is conjugated for the third person singular, which corresponds to he/she/it is cooking (here, referring to my friend). Meanwhile, pişiriyorum is conjugated for the first person singular, meaning I am cooking. The difference lies in the suffixes: -iyor for third person and -iyorum (with the -um ending) for first person.

Why does the sentence use a comma between the two clauses? Is this structure typical in Turkish?

The comma separates two independent clauses that each express a complete idea—one about cooking fish, the other about cooking vegetables. In Turkish, just like in English, a comma can be used to link related independent clauses without needing a conjunction. This makes the sentence clear and well-structured.

Why aren’t balık and sebze marked with an accusative case suffix even though they are the objects of the cooking action?

In Turkish, objects that are indefinite (referring to a general kind rather than one specified item) remain in their bare form (nominative case). Here, balık (fish) and sebze (vegetables) are used in a general sense. If you were referring to a specific fish or specific vegetables, you would add the accusative marker (e.g., balığı or sebzeyi).

What tense is used in pişiriyor and pişiriyorum, and how is it formed?

Both verbs are in the present continuous tense. This is formed by taking the root of the verb (pişir-, meaning to cook) and adding the present continuous suffix -iyor. Then, for the first person singular, an additional personal ending (-um) is attached, resulting in pişiriyorum. This tense expresses ongoing actions.