Learn Hardcore Turkish: Limon suyu yemeklere lezzet katıyor.

yemek (“meal, dish”) + -ler (plural) → yemekler (“meals/dishes”); then add -e (dative) → yemeklere (“to the dishes”). The dative case marks the target or receiver of an action—in this sentence, flavor is being added to the dishes.

Why doesn’t lezzet carry the accusative suffix -i as a direct object?

In Turkish, only definite (specific) direct objects take the accusative marker -i. Here lezzet (“flavor”) is indefinite—“(some) flavor,” not “that particular flavor”—so it remains unmarked. If you said lezzeti katıyor, you’d imply “it’s adding that specific flavor.”

What is the grammatical role of limon suyu, and why is it unmarked?

limon suyu (“lemon juice”) is the subject of the sentence, in the nominative case (no suffix). The verb katıyor is third-person singular, so the subject is clear without adding any pronoun or extra suffix.

Could you use limonun suyu instead of limon suyu, and what’s the difference?

Yes. limonun suyu (“the juice of the lemon”) uses the genitive -un plus the possessive -u, specifying a particular lemon. limon suyu is a compound noun meaning “lemon juice” in general, like a category or product name.

Why is katmak used here instead of eklemek to express “add”?

While eklemek is used for adding tangible ingredients or items, katmak is the idiomatic verb for adding an abstract or qualitative element—like flavor, color, meaning—into something. Hence, lezzet katmak = “to add flavor.”

How do we get katıyor from katmak, and why is the vowel ı used?

Start with the infinitive katmak, drop -mak → kat, then add the present‐continuous suffix -yor with vowel harmony. After the back vowel a, the suffix becomes -ıyor, yielding katıyor (“is adding”).

Do I need to include a subject pronoun like o before katıyor?

No. Turkish often omits subject pronouns when the subject is explicit or clear from context. Since limon suyu is already stated as the subject, adding o (“he/she/it”) would be redundant.