Tablo eşsiz.

to be

Breakdown of Tablo eşsiz.

• tablo: the painting
• eşsiz: unique

Questions & Answers about Tablo eşsiz.

Why is there no explicit verb equivalent to “is” in the sentence “Tablo eşsiz.”?

In Turkish, the present tense copula (the equivalent of “is”) is typically omitted in affirmative statements. So while English requires “The painting is unique,” Turkish naturally conveys the same meaning with “Tablo eşsiz.” instead of “Tablo eşsizdir.” The suffix -dir can be added for formality, but it’s not necessary in everyday language.

What is the overall structure of “Tablo eşsiz.” and how does it compare to English sentence structure?

The sentence is built with a subject followed by a predicate adjective. Tablo serves as the subject (meaning painting), and eşsiz functions as the predicate adjective (meaning unique). Unlike English, which requires the verb “is” to link the subject and the adjective, Turkish omits the copula in such constructions.

What does the adjective eşsiz mean, and are there any nuances to its usage?

Eşsiz literally means unique or one-of-a-kind, implying that the subject has no equal. Because eşsiz is an absolute adjective, it doesn’t normally take comparative forms; something either is unique or it isn’t.

Why does the adjective appear after the noun in this sentence, unlike when adjectives are used attributively?

In Turkish, adjectives can occupy two positions. When used attributively to directly modify a noun (forming a noun phrase), the adjective typically comes before the noun (e.g., eşsiz tablo for “unique painting”). However, when the adjective is used predicatively to describe the subject in a complete sentence, it follows the noun—as seen in Tablo eşsiz.

Is it acceptable to add an explicit copula suffix, and what would the sentence look like if I did so?

Yes, it is acceptable, particularly in formal or written contexts. Adding the copula suffix -dir gives you Tablo eşsizdir. Although this form is grammatically correct, the more natural, everyday usage is to omit the copula, resulting in Tablo eşsiz.

How does the absence of articles in Turkish affect the translation of “Tablo eşsiz.” to English?

Turkish does not have articles like the or a/an. Therefore, Tablo can mean either “painting” or “the painting” depending on the context. When translating to English, context and additional words (such as this or that) help indicate definiteness, but in Turkish the meaning is usually clear from context alone.