Sokakta meşale yanıyor.

A torch is burning in the street.

Breakdown of Sokakta meşale yanıyor.

• sokak: the street
• -ta: in
• yanmak: to burn
• meşale: the torch

Questions & Answers about Sokakta meşale yanıyor.

What does sokakta mean, and what does the suffix -ta indicate?

Sokak means “street,” and -ta is the locative case suffix meaning “at/on/in.”
Together sokakta means “at/on/in the street.” The choice of -ta reflects vowel harmony (back vowel a) and consonant assimilation (the d of -da becomes voiceless t after the voiceless k).

Why is it sokakta instead of sokakda or sokagta?

Two processes apply here:
• Vowel harmony: sokak contains a, a back vowel, so the suffix is -da/ta, not -de/te.
• Consonant assimilation: the suffix’s initial d becomes voiceless t after the voiceless consonant k.
Hence sokak + da → sokakta (not sokakda or sokagta).

What type of verb form is yanıyor, and how is it built?

Yanıyor is the present continuous tense meaning “is burning” or “is alight.” It breaks down as:
• yan- (root “burn”)
• -ıyor (present continuous suffix, vowel matched by harmony)
• No extra ending for 3rd person singular.
So yan- + ıyor = yanıyor.

Why is there no subject pronoun in Sokakta meşale yanıyor?

In Turkish the verb ending already indicates person and number. Yanıyor is 3rd person singular, so the subject “(it/the torch)” is understood without saying o (he/she/it).

Why isn’t there an article before meşale, and how can you express “a torch” explicitly?

Turkish has no separate words for “a” or “the.” A bare noun can be indefinite or definite by context. To make “a torch” explicit, you add bir:
• Sokakta bir meşale yanıyor.
To specify “that torch,” use a demonstrative:
• O meşale sokakta yanıyor.

How do you ask “Is a torch burning in the street?” in Turkish?

Use the question particle mu after the verb and raise your intonation:
Sokakta meşale yanıyor mu?
Note that mu follows vowel harmony (but is written separately).

Can you change the word order in Sokakta meşale yanıyor? Does it affect the meaning?

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible. Examples:
• Meşale sokakta yanıyor. (Subject–Place–Verb)
• Yanıyor sokakta meşale. (Verb–Place–Subject)
All convey roughly the same idea. Moving elements can add emphasis: fronting Yanıyor highlights the action, fronting Meşale highlights the torch.

How would you say “Torches are burning in the street” (plural)?

Pluralize meşale with -ler:
Sokakta meşaleler yanıyor.
Here meşaleler = “torches.”

What’s the difference between yanıyor and yanar?

• yanıyor = present continuous: “is burning” (an action happening right now).
• yanar = simple present/aorist: general statements, properties or habits, e.g. Bu meşale kolay yanar (“This torch burns easily” as a general fact).