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Questions & Answers about Balık fırında pişiyor.
Why are there no English-style articles like the or a/an before balık or fırın in this sentence?
In Turkish, there is no direct equivalent of English indefinite (a/an) or definite (the) articles. Nouns stand alone in either a general (indefinite) or specific (definite) sense. Context tells you whether you mean “a fish” or “the fish,” and likewise for “oven.”
Why is the verb pişiyor (with -iyor) used here instead of pişiriyor?
Turkish has two related verbs: pişmek (intransitive, “to cook/be cooked”) and pişirmek (transitive, “to cook something”). Here pişiyor is from pişmek, so the fish is “cooking” on its own. If you used pişiriyor, it would mean “(someone) is cooking” the fish, and you would need an object in the accusative case (e.g. Balığı fırında pişiriyor – “He/she is cooking the fish in the oven”).
What does -da in fırında do?
The suffix -da is the locative case marker, indicating location (“in,” “on,” or “at”). You attach it to fırın (“oven”) to form fırında, meaning “in the oven.”
Why is there an extra i before -yor in pişiyor?
Turkish uses a buffer vowel -i- with the present-continuous suffix -(I)yor. That vowel also follows vowel harmony: because piş has a front vowel (i), the suffix appears as -iyor. Hence piş + -iyor = pişiyor.
Why is there no accusative suffix on balık here?
Because in Balık fırında pişiyor, balık is the subject of an intransitive verb (pişmek). Only transitive verbs (like pişirmek) take a direct object marked with the accusative suffix -ı/-i/-u/-ü.
How is the word order determined in Balık fırında pişiyor?
Turkish is typically Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). Adverbials and locatives (like fırında) usually come before the verb. So Balık (subject) + fırında (locative adverb) + pişiyor (verb).
How would you say “The fish is being cooked” in a passive construction?
You can use the passive voice with -il-: Balık fırında pişiriliyor. This literally means “The fish is being cooked in the oven.”
How do I change this to the past tense (“The fish was cooked in the oven”)?
For the past tense of pişmek, use -di: Balık fırında pişti. This means “The fish cooked/was cooked in the oven.”
Can fırın ever mean “bakery” instead of “oven”?
Yes. Fırın can also mean “bakery” (a place where bread is baked). In contexts about food preparation at home, it usually means “oven.” Context clarifies the meaning.