Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sinema büyük.

In Turkish, the present-tense form of the verb to be is typically omitted in simple predicate sentences. This means that instead of saying "The cinema is big," Turkish speakers say Sinema büyük., understanding that büyük describes the subject sinema.

What does Sinema mean, and why is there no article like the before it?

Sinema literally means cinema—either referring to a movie theatre or to the art of cinema. Turkish does not use articles like a, an, or the, so there is never a need to include them before nouns as in English.

How is the adjective büyük used in this sentence, and does its position differ from English?

In Sinema büyük., büyük functions as a predicate adjective that comes after the subject. In English, adjectives typically appear before the noun in attributive positions, but in a copular sentence like "The cinema is big" the adjective follows the subject. Turkish follows a similar pattern in predicate sentences while simultaneously omitting the copula.

Do adjectives in Turkish change form based on the noun they describe?

No, adjectives in Turkish remain unchanged regardless of the noun’s number, gender, or definiteness. For example, even if you turn sinema into its plural form sinemalar, büyük stays the same: Sinemalar büyük.

How can you transform Sinema büyük. into a yes/no question in Turkish?

To form a yes/no question, you simply add the interrogative particle mı/mü/mi/mu (following vowel harmony) to the predicate. Therefore, Sinema büyük. becomes Sinema büyük mü?, which asks "Is the cinema big?"