Alıştırma kitabı kolay.

to be

Breakdown of Alıştırma kitabı kolay.

• kitap: the book
• kolay: easy
• alıştırma: practice

Questions & Answers about Alıştırma kitabı kolay.

Why does the adjective kolay appear at the end instead of directly before alıştırma kitabı?

In Turkish, when an adjective serves as the predicate (describing the subject) rather than directly modifying it, it follows the subject. In alıştırma kitabı kolay, kolay functions as a predicate adjective meaning “is easy.” If you intended an attributive meaning like “the easy exercise book,” you would place the adjective before the noun: kolay alıştırma kitabı. Also, note that Turkish often omits the linking verb “is” in simple present statements.

Why does kitap change to kitabı in this sentence?

This change results from two Turkish features: possessive construction and final consonant voicing assimilation. In compound nouns like alıştırma kitabı, the main noun takes a possessive suffix (here, -ı) to indicate a possession or association with the preceding noun. Moreover, because kitap ends with a voiceless consonant (p), adding a vowel-initial suffix triggers a voicing change, turning p into b for smoother pronunciation.

How is the compound noun alıştırma kitabı formed, and why isn’t alıştırma marked with any case ending?

Turkish forms certain compound nouns by combining two nouns: the first noun acts as a modifier and remains unmarked (often referred to as being in the “construct state”), while the second noun—the head—receives a possessive suffix. In alıştırma kitabı, alıştırma (exercise) modifies kitap (book), and kitap takes the -ı suffix to signal this relationship. This structure conveys that the book is intended for exercises, meaning “exercise book.”

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

In Turkish, the linking verb in the present simple tense is typically omitted because its meaning is implied by context. Thus, rather than saying “The exercise book is easy” with an explicit “is,” Turkish simply juxtaposes the subject with the predicate adjective, as in alıştırma kitabı kolay.

What role does vowel harmony play in determining the form of the possessive suffix in kitabı?

Vowel harmony is a fundamental principle in Turkish that ensures suffixes match the vowel quality (front or back) of the preceding syllable. Since kitap contains back vowels, the possessive suffix must also use a back vowel, resulting in -ı rather than -i. This harmonic adjustment makes pronunciation smoother and is why we see kitabı instead of kitapi.