Learn Hardcore Turkish: Anne dürüstçe konuşuyor.

dürüst is an adjective meaning “honest.” In Turkish, adjectives do not modify verbs directly. To create an adverb (“honestly”) you add the adverbial suffix -ca/-ce, yielding dürüstçe.

What does the adverbial suffix -ça/-çe do, and how is it used in dürüstçe?

The suffix -ça/-çe (always spelled with ç) turns adjectives into adverbs (like English “-ly”). You attach it to an adjective:
• dürüst (“honest”) + -çe = dürüstçe (“honestly”).

How do I decide whether to use -ça or -çe?

The suffix follows Turkish vowel harmony:
• After back vowels (a, ı, o, u) use -ça
• After front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) use -çe
Since dürüst ends in ü (a front vowel), it takes -çe.

Why doesn’t Anne have any suffix for case or number?

In Turkish, the subject of a sentence is in the nominative case and remains unmarked. Anne (mother) as the subject has no additional ending.

Can I drop Anne and say just dürüstçe konuşuyor?

Yes. Turkish is a pro-drop language: the verb konuşuyor (with no personal ending) already implies 3rd person singular. Dürüstçe konuşuyor still means “(She/He) is speaking honestly,” though adding Anne specifies who.

Could I say Anne dürüst konuşuyor without -çe?

No. That would be ungrammatical because dürüst is an adjective and cannot directly modify the verb. You need the adverb dürüstçe.

How is the verb konuşuyor formed?

Breakdown:
• konuş- = verb stem “to speak”
• -uyor = present continuous suffix (from -iyor, harmonized after u)
• Ø = zero ending for 3rd person singular
So konuş + uyor + Ø = konuşuyor (“is speaking”).

Why is the sentence using the present continuous (-iyor) rather than a simple present tense?

Turkish uses the present continuous (-iyor) for both ongoing actions and habitual/general truths. English often uses simple present for habits (“speaks honestly”), but Turkish still uses -iyor.

Where does the adverb dürüstçe go in a sentence? Can its position change?

Adverbs typically come immediately before the verb: Anne dürüstçe konuşuyor. You can sometimes move them for emphasis, but placing dürüstçe right before konuşuyor is the standard order.

How do I pronounce Anne dürüstçe konuşuyor, and where is the stress?

A rough English‐style guide:
• Anne = AHN-neh
• dürüstçe = dy-ROOST-cheh
• konuşuyor = koh-NOO-shoo-yor
Turkish generally stresses the last syllable of each word, so you’ll notice a slight emphasis on -çe in dürüstçe and on -yor in konuşuyor.