Ben sabah çay içiyorum.

to drink

Breakdown of Ben sabah çay içiyorum.

• ben: I
• çay: the tea
• sabah: morning

Questions & Answers about Ben sabah çay içiyorum.

Why is the subject pronoun Ben explicitly included even though Turkish verbs indicate the subject?

In Turkish, the verb ending already tells you who is performing the action, so the subject pronoun is technically optional. However, beginners and contexts requiring extra clarity often include Ben (meaning "I"). It can also be used for emphasis or contrast.

What tense is used in the verb içiyorum, and how is it formed?

The verb içiyorum is in the present continuous tense. It comes from the base verb içmek (to drink). The present continuous is formed by adding the suffix -iyor to the verb stem, followed by a personal ending (-um for the first person singular), making it mean "I am drinking" or "I drink (habitually)."

Why does the time expression sabah appear after the subject and before the object in this sentence?

Turkish typically follows a Subject–Time/Place–Object–Verb order. In Ben sabah çay içiyorum, sabah (which means "morning") provides the time reference, placed right after the subject Ben and before the object çay. This helps set the context for when the action happens.

What role does çay play in the sentence, and what is its meaning?

Çay means "tea" in English. It functions as the direct object in the sentence, indicating what is being drunk. Its placement before the verb aligns with the typical Turkish order where the object comes before the verb.

Can the subject Ben be omitted, and would the meaning of the sentence change?

Yes, the subject Ben can be omitted. The verb ending -um in içiyorum already indicates that the subject is "I." So, saying Sabah çay içiyorum is entirely natural in Turkish and still means "I drink tea in the morning."