Learn Hardcore Turkish: Simit, sokak tezgahlarında taze satılır.

In Turkish, the passive is constructed by adding a suffix to the verb. Here, the root verb is sat- (to sell), and the suffix -ılır is attached to form satılır, meaning "is sold." This passive formation shifts the focus to the item (simit) without mentioning the seller.

What is the breakdown and function of "sokak tezgahlarında" in the sentence?

The phrase sokak tezgahlarında can be divided as follows: • sokak means "street."
• tezgahlar is the plural form of tezgah, which means "stalls" or "counters."
• -ında (in the singular) or -larında (with plural) is the locative suffix meaning "at" or "on." Together, it translates to "at street stalls" and functions as a locative phrase describing where the simit is sold.

Why is the noun "Simit" used in its singular form even when referring to a general food item?

In Turkish, when making generic statements about a category or item, it’s common to use the singular form. Simit here represents the food in a general sense—much like saying "bread is delicious" in English—not focusing on individual items.

What role does the word "taze" play in the sentence?

The adjective taze means "fresh" and is used to modify the manner in which the simit is sold. Positioned before the verb, it emphasizes that the simit available at street stalls is sold in a fresh state. Although adjectives typically modify nouns, in Turkish such descriptive words can also appear in the predicate to provide additional qualities.

How does the word order of this Turkish sentence compare to typical English sentence structure?

Turkish often follows a subject–object–verb (SOV) order, meaning the verb comes at the end of the sentence. In the given sentence, Simit (subject) is followed by sokak tezgahlarında (locative phrase), and finally the verb satılır appears at the end. In contrast, English usually employs a subject–verb–object (SVO) order, so understanding this difference can help clarify how information is structured in Turkish.