Learn Hardcore Turkish: Alt kat çok sakin. - The lower floor is very calm.

• alt = “lower” / “bottom”
• kat = “floor” / “storey”
• çok = “very”
• sakin = “calm” / “quiet”
Combined, Alt kat çok sakin literally reads “lower floor very calm,” meaning “the lower floor is very calm.”

Why isn't there a verb like is in Alt kat çok sakin?

Turkish often omits the copula in the present tense. Here, alt kat is the logical subject (nominative) and çok sakin is the predicate adjective. The “to be” verb is simply implied. This structure is called a nominal sentence.

How would I include the copula “is” explicitly?

Attach the suffix -dir (with vowel harmony) to sakin:
Alt kat çok sakindir.
This form is more formal or bookish. In everyday speech you almost always drop -dir.

Why does alt kat have no case ending here?

As the subject/topic of a nominal sentence, alt kat stays in the nominative case (no suffix). Case endings appear on objects, indirect objects, possessive constructions, etc., but not on unmarked subjects in simple statements.

Does Turkish use articles like “the” or “a”? Why is there none here?

Turkish has no separate words for “the” or “a.” Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context or sometimes marked with suffixes (e.g. -i on definite direct objects). Here, alt kat is clear from context, so no article is needed.

How do I make the sentence negative?

Add the negator değil after the adjective:
Alt kat çok sakin değil.
Literally “Lower floor very calm not,” i.e. “The lower floor is not very calm.”

How can I ask this as a question?

Use the question particle mi (with vowel harmony) after sakin, written separately:
Alt kat çok sakin mi?
Pronounce with rising intonation to indicate a question.

How do I pluralize kat?

Add the plural suffix -lar/ler to kat:
Alt katlar çok sakin.
= “The lower floors are very calm.” Remember vowel harmony: after a, you use -lar.

How would I phrase “a very quiet lower floor” as an attributive expression?

Use bir for “a” and place çok sakin before alt kat:
çok sakin bir alt kat
= “a very quiet lower floor.”

Are there synonyms for sakin and alternative ways to say “lower floor”?

Synonyms for sakin include:
• sessiz (silent)
• huzurlu (peaceful)
• rahat (comfortable)
Other terms for “lower floor”:
• zemin kat = ground floor
• bodrum katı = basement level