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Questions & Answers about Çalışan ofiste çay içiyor.
What does çalışan mean, and why is it used as a noun in this sentence?
Çalışan comes from the verb çalışmak (to work) and is a present participle. In this context, it functions as a noun meaning “employee” or “worker” by referring to the person who is working.
How is the locative meaning expressed in ofiste?
Ofiste is formed by adding the locative suffix -te to ofis (office). This suffix indicates location, so ofiste translates as “in the office.”
What tense and aspect does içiyor convey?
İçiyor is the present continuous form of the verb içmek (to drink). The -iyor suffix shows that the action is currently in progress, meaning the employee is “drinking tea” right now.
Why is there no equivalent of the English article the before çalışan?
Turkish does not employ definite or indefinite articles; context determines definiteness. Even though English would require “the employee,” Turkish simply uses çalışan without an article.
How does the sentence structure in Turkish differ from English in this example?
Turkish typically follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, while English uses Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). In Çalışan ofiste çay içiyor, the subject (çalışan) comes first, followed by a locative adverbial (ofiste), then the object (çay), and finally the verb (içiyor).
Why doesn’t çay take an accusative case marker here?
In Turkish, an accusative case marker (such as -ı or -i) is used when the object is specific or definite. In this sentence, çay is treated as an indefinite or generic substance, so the accusative marker is omitted. If referring to a specific tea, one might see çayı instead.