Bisiklet mavi.

to be

Breakdown of Bisiklet mavi.

• bisiklet: the bicycle
• mavi: blue

Questions & Answers about Bisiklet mavi.

Why is there no verb like is in the sentence Bisiklet mavi.?

In Turkish, the present-tense form of the verb to be is typically omitted in simple descriptive sentences. The sentence Bisiklet mavi. implicitly means The bicycle is blue without explicitly including a linking verb.

Why is the adjective mavi placed after the noun bisiklet instead of before it?

In Turkish, when an adjective describes the subject as a predicate (as in stating a condition or quality), it follows the noun. Therefore, Bisiklet mavi. means The bicycle is blue. In contrast, when used attributively (directly modifying a noun), adjectives generally come before the noun (e.g., mavi bisiklet for blue bicycle).

What is the difference between mavi bisiklet and bisiklet mavi?

Mavi bisiklet is a noun phrase that means blue bicycle, with the adjective directly modifying the noun. On the other hand, bisiklet mavi is a complete sentence meaning The bicycle is blue, where mavi functions as a predicate adjective following the subject.

How is definiteness (like the English the) expressed in the sentence Bisiklet mavi.?

Turkish does not use articles such as the or a. Definiteness is inferred from context. In Bisiklet mavi., there is no need for an article because the meaning is understood without one.

Do adjectives in Turkish change their form based on the noun's gender or number?

No, adjectives in Turkish do not change according to gender or number. The adjective mavi stays the same whether it describes a singular or plural noun, or regardless of gender.

Can you make the sentence more formal, and if so, how?

Yes, you can add the formal copula suffix -dir to the adjective to emphasize formality. For example, Bisiklet mavi can be made more formal by saying Bisiklet mavidir, which still means The bicycle is blue.