Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sokak dar. - The street is narrow.

In Turkish, the present tense form of the verb to be is typically omitted in simple descriptive sentences. This zero-copula structure means that Sokak dar. is complete on its own, even though in English we would say The street is narrow.

Why is the adjective dar placed after the noun sokak instead of before it?

In Turkish, when an adjective is used as a predicate (describing the subject in a full sentence), it comes after the noun. In contrast, if you were using the adjective in an attributive manner (as part of a noun phrase), it would usually precede the noun (e.g. dar sokak for a narrow street). Thus, the structure Sokak dar. reflects a predicate adjective construction.

Do adjectives like dar change form to agree with the noun they describe, as adjectives sometimes do in other languages?

No, adjectives in Turkish do not change their form for agreement. Unlike languages that modify adjectives for gender, number, or case, dar remains the same regardless of the noun it describes.

Why is there no article equivalent to the or a before sokak?

Turkish does not have articles like the or a. Nouns appear in their bare form, and definiteness or indefiniteness is usually inferred from context rather than being marked by a separate word.

Can the position of adjectives in Turkish change based on whether the adjective is used attributively or predicatively?

Yes, it can. When an adjective is used predicatively—as in Sokak dar. meaning The street is narrow—it follows the noun and replaces the linking verb. However, when an adjective is used to modify a noun within a noun phrase (attributively), it typically comes before the noun. For example, dar sokak would be used for a narrow street.