Bu kural istisna tanımıyor.

This rule doesn’t allow any exceptions.

Breakdown of Bu kural istisna tanımıyor.

• bu: this
• kural: the rule
• tanımak: to recognize
• istisna: the exception

Questions & Answers about Bu kural istisna tanımıyor.

Why doesn’t istisna take the accusative suffix -yı?

In Turkish, only definite (specific) direct objects get the accusative case marker -ı/-i/-u/-ü. Here istisna (“exception”) is general and indefinite (“an exception in general”), so it stays bare. If you wanted to talk about a particular exception, you would say istisnayı tanımıyor.

How is the verb tanımıyor formed, and what does each part mean?

tanımıyor = root tanı- (to recognize/accept) + negative suffix -ma/-me + present-progressive suffix -yor.
• tanı- + -ma → tanıma (do not accept)
• tanıma + -yor → tanımıyor (is not accepting/admitting)

Vowel harmony turns -yor into -ıyor after the ı in tanı.

What’s the difference between tanımıyor and the aorist negative tanımaz?

• tanımaz (aorist negative) often states a general truth or habitual fact (“it never admits/recognizes”).
• tanımıyor (progressive negative) emphasizes the ongoing or current state (“it isn’t admitting/recognizing right now”) but in practice it’s also used for general rules, especially in spoken Turkish.

In a very formal written style you might prefer tanımaz, but both are understood the same way here.

Why doesn’t bu kural have any case ending (like -ı or -i)? Shouldn’t it be bu kuralı?

Bu kural is the subject of the sentence, so it remains in the nominative (unmarked) form. Subjects in Turkish do not take case endings. Only definite direct objects get -ı/-i, and dative objects get -a/-e, etc.

What is the usual word order in Turkish, and is Bu kural istisna tanımıyor following it?

Turkish is typically Subject–Object–Verb (S-O-V). Here:
• Bu kural (Subject)
• istisna (Object)
• tanımıyor (Verb)
Yes, it follows the standard S-O-V order. You can reorder for emphasis, but the verb usually comes last.

How would I turn this statement into a yes/no question?

Attach the question particle –mu/–mü/–mu/–mı to the verb (with a space). By vowel harmony:
“Bu kural istisna tanımıyor mu?”
You can also use intonation only in speech, but in writing the mu makes it clear.

If I wanted to generalize and say “rules admit no exceptions” instead of “this rule,” how would I change it?

Drop bu and put kural in the plural:
“Kurallar istisna tanımıyor.”
Or with the aorist:
“Kurallar istisna tanımaz.”

How can I add emphasis to express “this rule absolutely admits no exceptions”?

Use an intensifier, for example:
• Bu kural asla istisna tanımıyor.
• Bu kural kesinlikle istisna tanımıyor.
• Bu kural hiçbir istisna tanımıyor.