Learn Hardcore Turkish: Enflasyon yüksek.

In Turkish, the present‐tense copula (“to be”) is normally omitted in simple affirmative sentences, especially in spoken or informal contexts. The adjective yüksek directly follows the noun enflasyon to express “Inflation is high,” even though there’s no explicit is.

What case is enflasyon in, and why doesn’t it have a suffix?

Enflasyon is in the nominative case, which is the default form for a sentence’s subject in Turkish. The nominative usually has no suffix. If you added an accusative suffix (-u/-ü), for example enflasyonu, you would be making it a direct object instead.

Why does the adjective come after the noun, when in English we say “high inflation”?

There are two different constructions:

As a noun phrase (attributive adjective), you say yüksek enflasyon = “high inflation.”
As a predicate sentence, you follow the pattern Subject + Predicate (adjective), so you say Enflasyon yüksek = “Inflation is high.”

How can I make the sentence more formal or written by adding a copula?

Attach the formal copular suffix -dir (for general truths or written style) to the adjective. Because of consonant harmony it becomes Enflasyon yüksektir, literally “Inflation is high.”

How do I turn this sentence into a negative one (“Inflation is not high”)?

Place değil after the adjective:
• Enflasyon yüksek değil = “Inflation is not high.”
If you want both negation and the formal copula, use -dir with değil:
• Enflasyon yüksek değildir.

How do I ask a question like “Is inflation high?”?

Add the question particle mi (with vowel harmony) after the adjective:
• Enflasyon yüksek mi?
For a more formal or written question, you can also say Enflasyon yüksek midir?

How would I say “very high inflation”?

Use an adverb of degree before the adjective, for example:
• Enflasyon çok yüksek = “Inflation is very high.”
• Enflasyon oldukça yüksek = “Inflation is quite high.”

Why isn’t there an article before enflasyon? In English we say “the inflation.”

Turkish has no definite or indefinite articles like the or a/an. Context indicates specificity. So Enflasyon yüksek can mean “Inflation is high” (in general) or “The inflation is high” (specific), depending on the situation.

Is enflasyon a native Turkish word or a loanword?

It’s a loanword from French inflation, adapted into Turkish pronunciation and spelling. Modern usage drops any circumflex, so you write enflasyon, not enflâsyon.