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Questions & Answers about Köpek akıllı.
Why is there no word for “is” in Köpek akıllı?
In Turkish, the copula “to be” is usually omitted in the present tense. A simple subject–predicate adjective sentence like Köpek akıllı literally means Dog smart, but idiomatically it’s “The dog is smart.” There’s no separate “is” needed.
What case are köpek and akıllı in?
Both words are in the nominative (dictionary) form. In a basic declarative sentence with a subject and a predicate adjective, neither the noun nor the adjective takes extra case endings.
Why isn’t there an article like “a” or “the” before köpek?
Turkish does not have definite or indefinite articles. Whether you mean “a dog,” “the dog,” or “dogs in general,” context does the job. Köpek akıllı can be understood as “A dog is smart,” “The dog is smart,” or even “Dogs are smart.”
Can I make this into a question—“Is the dog smart?” How?
Yes. You just add the question particle mı (with vowel harmony) after the adjective:
Köpek akıllı mı?
That literally asks Dog smart?, meaning “Is the dog smart?”
How would I say “The dog is not smart”?