Questions & Answers about Ben az su içiyorum.
What does az mean in Ben az su içiyorum and how is it different from biraz?
- az is an adjective meaning “little” or “not much,” describing a small, insufficient amount.
- biraz is a quantifier/adverb meaning “a little” or “some,” used to indicate a modest positive amount.
- In az su içiyorum, you’re stating that you drink an insufficient amount of water (e.g. “I don’t drink much water”).
- In contrast, biraz su içiyorum would mean “I’m drinking a little water” as a neutral statement about the current action, without the nuance of scarcity.
Why isn’t su marked with the accusative suffix (i.e. suyu) in Ben az su içiyorum?
- Turkish only adds the accusative suffix -(y)i to definite direct objects (known or specific).
- az su refers to an indefinite small quantity of water—there’s no particular water being singled out—so it stays in the bare form su.
- If you said Ben az suyu içiyorum, it would imply “I am drinking that little bit of water (we’ve been talking about),” making it definite.
Is the pronoun Ben necessary here? Can it be omitted?
- It is not necessary. Turkish is a pro-drop language: the verb ending -yorum already indicates “I.”
- So Az su içiyorum is perfectly natural.
- You would include Ben only for emphasis or contrast (e.g. “I, however, drink little water, but she drinks a lot”).
What’s the difference between içiyorum (present continuous) and (simple present) in Turkish?