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Questions & Answers about Bu sorun ciddi.
What does bu mean and how is it used here?
Bu is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “this.” It points to something close to the speaker. In Turkish it precedes the noun it modifies, so bu sorun = “this problem.”
What is the role of sorun in this sentence? Does it take a case ending?
Sorun means “problem” and functions as the subject. In Turkish, the nominative (subject) case has no visible ending, so sorun appears in its bare form.
Why isn’t there an indefinite article “a” before sorun?
Turkish has no dedicated indefinite article. You can use bir (“one”) to imply “a,” as in bir sorun = “a problem.” Here, bu (“this”) makes the noun definite (“this problem”), so bir isn’t needed.
What is ciddi, and does it change for gender or number?
Ciddi is an adjective meaning “serious.” Turkish adjectives do not inflect for gender or number, so ciddi stays the same whether you describe one problem, many problems, or any subject.
Where is the verb “to be” in this sentence?
In Turkish, the present‐tense copula (“is/are”) is usually omitted. You link subject and adjective directly: Bu sorun ciddi. literally “This problem serious.”
What is the word order in Bu sorun ciddi, and how does it differ from English?
The structure is Subject + Predicate Adjective. English needs a copula: “This problem is serious.” In Turkish you say “This problem serious” (omitting “is”).
How do you make this sentence negative?
Add the negative copula değil after the adjective:
Bu sorun ciddi değil.
= “This problem is not serious.”
How do you turn it into a yes/no question?
Attach the question particle mi (with vowel harmony) after ciddi:
Bu sorun ciddi mi?
= “Is this problem serious?”
You can also rely on rising intonation alone in speech: “Bu sorun ciddi?”
Does ciddi follow Turkish vowel harmony rules?
No. Ciddi is borrowed from Arabic and is not subject to regular vowel harmony. Many loanwords in Turkish remain unchanged, so you don’t alter ciddi even when adding suffixes elsewhere.