Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ton çok düşük.
Where is the verb “to be” in Ton çok düşük? How do you express “is” in Turkish?
In Turkish, simple present‐tense copula (“is/am/are”) is usually omitted. A noun or adjective after a noun automatically carries the meaning “is.” So Ton çok düşük literally reads “Tone very low,” i.e. “The tone is very low.” You only need an explicit copula in other tenses or for emphasis (e.g. Ton çok düşüktür).
What part of speech is çok, and how does it modify düşük?
Çok is an adverb of degree. It goes immediately before an adjective or another adverb to mean “very” or “a lot.” Here it strengthens düşük, so çok düşük = “very low.”
Can I say Ton düşük çok or Ton çok düşük? Why does çok come where it does?
Word order for degree adverbs is fixed: adverb → adjective → (copula). So you must say Ton çok düşük. Ton düşük çok would sound unnatural. The pattern is always “çok (adjective).”
Why not say düşük ton instead of Ton çok düşük?
Düşük ton is a noun phrase meaning “low tone” (adjective + noun). It doesn’t form a complete sentence. Ton çok düşük is a full sentence (“The tone is very low”). If you just say düşük ton you’re describing or naming something, not stating a fact about it.
What exactly does ton mean here? Is it the same as ses tonu?
Ton is a loanword (from French/English) meaning “tone” or “pitch.” In everyday speech about voice you often say ses tonu (“voice tone”), but in technical or equipment contexts (radios, amplifiers) ton alone is enough to mean that control or setting.
Why aren’t there articles like “the” or “a” before ton in Turkish?
Turkish has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns without any marker can mean either “a…” or “the…” depending on context. If you need “a tone,” you could say bir ton; if you need “the tone” more explicitly you use context or a demonstrative: o ton.
How would I make a comparative or superlative, like “lower tone” or “lowest tone”?
Use daha for “more/lower” and en for “most/lowest.” For example:
- Comparative: Ton daha düşük. (“The tone is lower.”)
- Superlative: Ton en düşük. (“The tone is the lowest.”)
What about the copula suffix -dır? Could I say Ton çok düşüktür, and does it change the meaning?
Yes. Adding -dır/-dir/-dur (depending on vowel harmony) makes the statement more formal or emphatic, often used in written or technical contexts. Ton çok düşüktür still means “The tone is very low,” but sounds more official than the bare Ton çok düşük.