Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kafe indirimli çay sunuyor.
Why does çay have no suffix? Is it in the accusative case?
In this sentence çay is the direct object but remains indefinite and generic, so it takes no accusative suffix. In Turkish, you only add the accusative suffix (for example, -ı → çayı) when the object is definite or specific.
What does indirimli mean, and how is it formed grammatically?
indirimli is an adjective meaning “discounted” (literally “with a discount”). It’s formed by adding the adjective-forming suffix -li to the noun indirim. Due to vowel harmony, -li can appear as -lı, -li, -lu, or -lü depending on the last vowel of the stem.
Why is indirimli placed before çay? Does word order matter in Turkish?
Yes. In Turkish, adjectives precede the nouns they modify. So indirimli (adjective) correctly comes before çay (noun).
What tense and aspect is sunuyor, and how is it built?
sunuyor is the present continuous tense (Turkish şimdiki zaman). You take the verb stem sun- and add the progressive suffix -(i)yor. Because of vowel harmony, -iyor becomes -uyor, yielding sunuyor. It conveys an ongoing or habitual action: “is offering” or simply “offers.”
Why does Kafe have no case suffix?
Kafe is the sentence’s subject in the nominative case. In Turkish, subjects in the nominative take no suffix. The verb sunuyor is marked for third-person singular, so the subject is clear.
Could you say Kafe indirimli çayı sunuyor instead? What changes?
Yes, but that makes çayı definite (“the discounted tea”). The original çay is indefinite (“tea in general”). So with çayı you’d be emphasizing a specific tea.
Can we drop Kafe since the verb shows who’s doing the action?
Absolutely. Turkish often omits subjects when context makes them clear. You could simply say İndirimli çay sunuyor, understood as “(It) offers discounted tea.”
Could another verb be used instead of sunuyor?
Yes. In café or restaurant contexts, people frequently use servis etmek (“to serve”). You’d get Kafe indirimli çay servis ediyor, which means essentially the same thing.