Learn Hardcore Turkish: Gece uzun ve sakin. - The night is long and calm.

In Turkish, the present tense of the copular verb (equivalent to "is") is usually omitted when stating characteristics. This means that rather than explicitly saying "The night is long and calm," Turkish simply presents the property with adjectives following the subject.

What does "gece" mean, and why doesn’t it have an article like "the" before it?

"Gece" means "night." Turkish does not use articles such as "the" or "a," so nouns appear in their base form without any preceding articles.

What are the meanings of the adjectives "uzun" and "sakin" in this sentence?

The adjective "uzun" translates to "long," and "sakin" translates to "calm" (or "peaceful"). Together, they describe the night as having a long duration and a calm atmosphere.

What role does the conjunction "ve" play in this sentence?

"Ve" is a conjunction that means "and." It connects the adjectives "uzun" and "sakin," indicating that both qualities apply to the subject "gece."

How does the word order in "Gece uzun ve sakin" compare to how adjectives are ordered in English sentences?

In English, adjectives generally come before the noun (for example, "a long, calm night"). In Turkish, however, when using adjectives predicatively (that is, to describe the state of the subject without an explicit verb), the structure is subject + adjectives. Thus, "Gece uzun ve sakin" literally translates as "Night long and calm," reflecting common Turkish syntax.