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Questions & Answers about Ekonomi zor.
Why isn't there an English-like verb such as is, var, or -dir in Ekonomi zor?
Turkish uses a zero-copula for present-tense nominal and adjectival predications. That means you simply put the subject and the adjective together without a linking verb. So Ekonomi zor literally is Ekonomi (economy) + zor (difficult) = “The economy is difficult.” The existential var expresses “there is,” and the suffix -dir is optional (often dropped in speech).
What case is ekonomi in? It ends in -i, which looks like the accusative suffix.
Here ekonomi is in the nominative (subject) case. Many Turkish loanwords end in a vowel that coincides with the accusative marker. The true accusative would be ekonomiyi (with a buffer -y-). Since there’s no buffer, ekonomi remains unmarked for case.
Why is there no article like the or a before ekonomi?
Turkish has no articles equivalent to a, an, or the. Definiteness is determined by context or by case markings on direct objects. In subject–predicate statements like Ekonomi zor, you simply state the noun followed by the adjective.
Do adjectives in Turkish change form for number or gender? Why isn't zor pluralized?
Turkish adjectives never inflect for number or gender; they remain in a single, invariant form. To pluralize the noun you’d say ekonomiler (economies), but the adjective stays the same: Ekonomiler zor = “Economies are difficult.”
What’s the difference between Ekonomi zor and Ekonomi zordur?
The suffix -dir (in zordur) can add formality, emphasis, or express a general truth. Ekonomi zordur sounds more formal or like a broad statement (“Economics is, by nature, difficult”). In everyday speech, you drop -dir and say Ekonomi zor.
How do you make Ekonomi zor into a question meaning “Is the economy difficult?”
You attach the question particle -mu (with vowel harmony) to the adjective: zor + -mu = zor mu. So Ekonomi zor mu? = “Is the economy difficult?”
Why is zor placed after ekonomi? Aren’t adjectives supposed to come before nouns, like zor sınav?
Attributive adjectives (those modifying a noun) do come before the noun: zor sınav = “difficult exam.” But when an adjective is used as the predicate of a sentence (i.e., “X is Y”), it follows the subject after the zero-copula: Ekonomi zor = “The economy is difficult.”
Can zor be used as a verb? What’s the difference between Ekonomi zor and Ekonomi zorlandı?
zor alone is an adjective meaning “difficult.” The verb zorlamak means “to force” or “to make something difficult.” Ekonomi zorlandı means “The economy struggled” or “was put under pressure,” implying an action. Ekonomi zor simply states a quality.