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Questions & Answers about Makine çalışıyor.
Why is there no article like a or the in Makine çalışıyor?
Turkish does not have a separate indefinite article and generally omits the definite article. You can specify a machine by saying Bir makine çalışıyor or the machine by O makine çalışıyor, but without bir or o, Makine çalışıyor simply relies on context.
Why is Makine not suffixed with any case ending even though it's the subject?
In Turkish, the subject of a simple declarative sentence appears in the nominative case, which is unmarked (no suffix). Only objects and other roles receive specific case endings.
What tense and aspect does çalışıyor express?
Çalışıyor is the present continuous (progressive) tense, indicating an ongoing action. It corresponds to is working in English.
How is the present continuous tense formed in Turkish?
You take the verb stem (çalış-), add the progressive suffix -ıyor/-iyor/-uyor/-üyor (according to vowel harmony), and then attach the personal ending. For 3rd person singular there is no extra ending, so çalış + -ıyor = çalışıyor.