Breakdown of Tarçınlı elma dilimlerinin kokusu harika.
olmak
to be
-in
of
harika
wonderful
koku
the scent
tarçınlı
cinnamon-flavored
elma dilimi
the apple slice
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Questions & Answers about Tarçınlı elma dilimlerinin kokusu harika.
How is tarçınlı formed from tarçın, and what does the suffix -lı mean?
tarçınlı = tarçın + -lı. The suffix -lı/-li/-lu/-lü means with or having that quality. It follows vowel harmony. Since tarçın ends with the vowel ı (a back, unrounded vowel), we attach -lı, giving tarçınlı, which means with cinnamon or cinnamon-flavored.
Why does elma dilimlerinin contain -ler and -nin, and what does it mean?
Breakdown of elma dilimlerinin:
- elma = apple
- dilim = slice
- -ler = plural → dilimler = slices
- -nin = genitive (“of”) → dilimlerin = of the slices
Together elma dilimlerinin = of the apple slices. In Turkish the possessor noun takes a genitive suffix before linking to the possessed noun.
Why is koku written as kokusu, and what role does -su play here?
The noun koku (smell) takes a possessive suffix to show it belongs to elma dilimleri. Here we use the 3rd-person singular suffix -su (adjusted for vowel harmony):
koku + su → kokusu, meaning its smell. Combined with the genitive-marked possessor, elma dilimlerinin kokusu = the smell of the apple slices.
Why is there no word for is in the sentence?
In Turkish simple-present statements, the copula to be is usually omitted. An adjective or noun can directly follow the subject. So kokusu harika literally reads its smell wonderful, which is understood as its smell is wonderful without an explicit is.
How does the word order of Tarçınlı elma dilimlerinin kokusu harika compare to English?
Turkish generally follows Subject–Object–Verb and places modifiers before the words they modify. Here:
- Tarçınlı elma dilimlerinin kokusu = [Adjective + Noun Phrase] as subject
- harika = predicate adjective
In English you’d say The smell of the cinnamon apple slices is wonderful. The idea is the same, but English requires the verb is.
What does elma dilim literally mean, and why are they separate words?
Elma = apple, dilim = slice. Together they form elma dilimi = apple slice. Turkish often uses separate nouns in a row to build compound meanings, much like English noun compounds.
Could we say tarçın kokulu elma dilimleri harika instead, and what would that mean?
Yes. tarçın kokulu = cinnamon-scented (from tarçın + koku + -lu), modifying elma dilimleri = apple slices. So tarçın kokulu elma dilimleri harika means Cinnamon-scented apple slices are wonderful. This focuses on the slices being scented, rather than emphasizing that the smell is wonderful.
How does vowel harmony determine suffix forms in tarçınlı, dilimlerinin, and kokusu?
Turkish suffixes harmonize with the last vowel of the stem:
- tarçın ends in ı (back, unrounded) → suffix -lı → tarçınlı
- dilimler ends in e (front, unrounded) → genitive -nin → dilimlerin
- koku ends in u (back, rounded) → possessive -su → kokusu
This harmony ensures smooth pronunciation and a consistent vowel pattern.