Kişnişi herkes sevmeyebilir, ama ben çok beğeniyorum.

Not everyone may like cilantro, but I really enjoy it.

Breakdown of Kişnişi herkes sevmeyebilir, ama ben çok beğeniyorum.

• çok: very
• ben: I
• ama: but
• herkes: everyone
• kişniş: the cilantro
• sevmemek: to not like
• beğenmek: to enjoy

Questions & Answers about Kişnişi herkes sevmeyebilir, ama ben çok beğeniyorum.

What does kişnişi mean?

Kişniş is the Turkish word for the herb cilantro (also called coriander leaves). The final -i is the accusative suffix, marking kişnişi as a definite direct object (“the cilantro”).

Why does kişnişi take the -i ending?

Turkish marks definite direct objects with the accusative -i (or its variants -ı, -u, -ü). Because we’re talking about cilantro in general but as a known item, it takes -i. If you spoke more abstractly (“I like cilantro in general”), you might drop it: Kişniş sevmiyorum.

How is sevmeyebilir formed, and what does it mean?

Start with the verb root sevmek (to like/love).

1. Add the negative suffix -me → sevme- (not like)
2. Add the possibility/potential suffix -yebilir → sevmeyebilir (may not like).
   So Herkes sevmeyebilir literally means “Not everyone may like [it].”

Why is the negative suffix placed before the possibility suffix in sevmeyebilir?

In Turkish, the order for negation and modality is fixed: root + negative -me/-ma + any tense/aspect or modality suffix (here -yebilir). You can’t do it the other way around.

What’s the difference between sevmek and beğenmek, and why does the sentence switch verbs?

• Sevmek is “to love” or “to really like.”
• Beğenmek is “to like,” “to find pleasing,” or “to appreciate.”
  When talking about food or a mild preference, Turks often prefer beğenmek. So even though the first clause says “not everyone may like cilantro,” the speaker uses beğeniyorum (from beğenmek) to express “I really enjoy it.”

Why is there ama ben before çok beğeniyorum? Could you drop ben?

Ama means “but.” Ben is the subject pronoun “I.” Turkish verbs already encode the subject, so ben is optional and adds emphasis or contrast (“but I personally…”). You could say just ama çok beğeniyorum, but ama ben highlights that it’s the speaker’s own opinion.

Why is beğeniyorum in the present continuous rather than a simple present tense?

Turkish doesn’t have a bare simple present like English. Instead, general truths, habits, and ongoing states (including likes/dislikes) usually take the present continuous -iyor suffix. So beğeniyorum covers “I like” or “I am liking.”

How would you translate the whole sentence literally and naturally into English?

Literal word‐order translation:
“Kişnişi herkes sevmeyebilir, ama ben çok beğeniyorum.”
→ “Cilantro-ACC everyone may-not-like, but I very much-like.”
Natural English:
“Not everyone may like cilantro, but I really do.”