Ben hiç sıcak çay içmiyorum.

I never drink hot tea.

Breakdown of Ben hiç sıcak çay içmiyorum.

• içmek: to drink
• ben: I
• çay: the tea
• sıcak: hot
• hiç: never

Questions & Answers about Ben hiç sıcak çay içmiyorum.

What does hiç mean in this sentence and why is it used here?

Hiç means never or not at all when paired with a negative verb. It strengthens the negation. In Ben hiç sıcak çay içmiyorum, it tells us the speaker “never drinks hot tea.” Without a negative verb form, hiç cannot convey this meaning.

Why is the verb içmiyorum in the present continuous form instead of a simple present like içmem?

Turkish often uses the present continuous suffix -iyor for habitual actions in everyday speech.

• içmiyorum = “I am not drinking” / “I don’t drink” (common for habits)
• içmem = “I don’t drink” (more formal or general, sometimes used in proverbs)
  Using içmiyorum makes the statement sound natural and conversational.

Is the pronoun Ben necessary here?

No. The verb ending -miyorum already indicates first‑person singular. You include Ben only for emphasis or clarity. In casual speech you’d typically say Hiç sıcak çay içmiyorum.

Why doesn’t sıcak çay take an accusative suffix (‑ı)?

When you talk about things in general (indefinite objects), Turkish uses the nominative case (no suffix).

• sıcak çay = hot tea in general
  If you add the accusative suffix (‑ı), sıcak çayı, you’d refer to a specific hot tea (e.g. “that mug of hot tea”).

What is the word order in Ben hiç sıcak çay içmiyorum?

Turkish follows Subject–Object–Verb (SOV). Here:

1. Ben (Subject)
2. hiç (Negation adverb)
3. sıcak çay (Object)
4. içmiyorum (Verb)

How does asla differ from hiç when you want to say “never”?

• hiç is common in everyday speech and pairs with negative verbs (e.g. hiç içmiyorum).
• asla is stronger/formal and always comes just before the verb: Ben asla sıcak çay içmem.

Can hiç be moved to emphasize a different part of the sentence?

Shifting hiç usually sounds awkward. The standard position is right before the object or verb it negates.

• Natural: Ben hiç sıcak çay içmiyorum
• Unnatural: Ben sıcak çay hiç içmiyorum (this word order is not used by native speakers)