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Questions & Answers about Su kimyasal.
Why is there no word for “is” in the sentence “Su kimyasal.”?
Turkish often omits the present tense linking verb in equative sentences. In English, “water is chemical” requires the verb “is,” but in Turkish, it’s common to simply put the subject and the predicate together. An optional linking suffix (‐dır) can be added for emphasis (resulting in “Su kimyasaldır”), but it isn’t necessary for the sentence to be understood.
What do the words su and kimyasal mean in this sentence?
In the sentence, su means “water” and kimyasal means “chemical.” The sentence communicates the idea that water possesses the property of being chemical in nature.
Is kimyasal used as an adjective or a noun here, and why?
Kimyasal functions as a predicate adjective in this sentence. It describes a property of the subject “su.” Although it seems like a simple adjective, in the predicate position (after the subject) it conveys a complete statement without needing an extra linking verb.
How do Turkish equative sentences like “Su kimyasal.” differ in structure from similar English sentences?
In Turkish, equative sentences typically do not include an explicit linking verb to connect the subject and the predicate. The structure is simply “Subject Predicate,” and context makes the relationship clear. In contrast, English requires a linking verb (e.g., “is”) to create the sentence “Water is chemical.”
What effect does adding the linking suffix (‐dır) have, as in “Su kimyasaldır”, compared to “Su kimyasal.”?