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Questions & Answers about Spor ayakkabılar çok rahat.
Why is spor not inflected when it modifies ayakkabılar?
In Turkish, a noun that directly modifies another noun is called an attributive noun. Attributive nouns remain in their basic form without taking plural, possessive, or case endings. Here, spor is functioning like an adjective (“sports”) and so it stays unmarked.
Why does only ayakkabı get the plural suffix -lar, not spor?
The plural suffix in Turkish attaches only to the main noun of the phrase. The modifier (spor) is kept in its root form, while the head noun (ayakkabı) takes -lar to become ayakkabılar (“shoes”).
What does çok do in this sentence?
çok is an adverb meaning “very.” It modifies the adjective rahat, intensifying it: “very comfortable.”
Where is the verb “to be” in Spor ayakkabılar çok rahat?
In Turkish, the copula (“is/are”) in the present tense is typically omitted. Spor ayakkabılar çok rahat literally reads “Sports shoes very comfortable,” but it’s understood as “Sports shoes are very comfortable.”
How would I say “My sports shoes are very comfortable”?
Add the first-person-singular possessive suffix -ım (with vowel harmony) to ayakkabı:
“Spor ayakkabılarım çok rahat.”
How do I express “A sports shoe is very comfortable” in Turkish?
Use the indefinite article bir and keep the noun singular:
“Bir spor ayakkabı çok rahat.”
Why is the plural suffix -lar and not -ler on ayakkabı?
Turkish vowel harmony requires the suffix to match the last vowel of the word. ayakkabı ends with back vowel ı, so the back-vowel form -lar is used.
Why isn’t rahat followed by any additional suffix?
rahat is an adjective used predicatively (after the subject). Predicative adjectives in Turkish stay in their basic form without suffixes, just like in English you say “She is comfortable,” not “She is comfort.”