Martı sürüsü deniz kenarındaki kayalıklardan gökyüzüne süzülüyor.

The flock of seagulls is gliding from the rocks by the seashore into the sky.

Breakdown of Martı sürüsü deniz kenarındaki kayalıklardan gökyüzüne süzülüyor.

• gökyüzü: the sky
• -e: to
• -dan: from
• -daki: on
• kayalık: the rock
• süzülmek: to glide
• martı sürüsü: the flock of seagulls
• deniz kenarı: the seashore

Questions & Answers about Martı sürüsü deniz kenarındaki kayalıklardan gökyüzüne süzülüyor.

What does the phrase martı sürüsü mean, and how is it constructed?

martı = seagull; sürü = flock. Combined as a noun-noun compound (no genitive suffix needed), martı sürüsü means a flock of seagulls and functions as the subject of the sentence.

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” in Turkish here?

Turkish lacks articles like “a” or “the.” Noun phrases are interpreted as definite or indefinite by context and by case marking on objects. Since martı sürüsü is an unmarked subject, it’s indefinite (“a flock of seagulls”).

How is deniz kenarındaki formed, and what do the suffixes -nda and -ki do?

Breakdown:

• deniz = sea
• kenar = edge
• kenar
  • -ı (3rd-person possessive “its edge”) = kenarı
• kenarı
  • -nda (locative “at”) = kenarında (“at its edge”)
• kenarında
  • -ki (relative adjective) = kenarındaki (“that is at the edge”)

So deniz kenarındaki literally means “at the edge of the sea,” i.e. “seaside,” modifying kayalıklar.

How do the suffixes work in kayalıklardan and gökyüzüne, and which cases are they representing?

kayalıklardan = kayalık (“cliff”) + -lar (plural) + -dan (ablative case, “from”) → “from the cliffs.”
gökyüzüne = gökyüzü (“sky”) + buffer y + -e (dative case, “to/into”) → “to the sky.”
Vowel harmony shapes -dan after the back vowel a, and -e after the front vowel ü.

What is süzülüyor, and how is this verb form built?

süzülüyor = “(it) is gliding.” Morphology:

• süz (root “to strain/filter”)
• -ül (intransitive/passive-style, here “to glide”)
• -üyor (present continuous suffix for 3rd person singular)

What nuance does süzülmek carry compared to the more general uçmak (“to fly”)?

süzülmek implies a smooth, drifting or gliding motion—serene and graceful, without active flapping. uçmak is the generic verb for “to fly.”

How does the word gökyüzü break down into gök and yüz, and what does each part mean?

gök = “sky,” yüz = “face” or “surface.” Combined as gökyüzü, it literally means “the face of the sky,” i.e. “sky.”

How does the word order in this sentence reflect typical Turkish sentence structure?

Turkish follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, with adverbial phrases before the verb. Here we have:

1. Subject: Martı sürüsü
2. Adverbials: deniz kenarındaki kayalıklardan (“from the seaside cliffs”), gökyüzüne (“into the sky”)
3. Verb: süzülüyor
   In English (SVO) the verb would come right after the subject, but Turkish always places the verb at the end.

How can you express a definite meaning like “that flock of seagulls” in Turkish?

You can add a demonstrative or use case marking:

• o martı sürüsü = “that flock of seagulls.”
• To mark definiteness for an object you’d use the accusative suffix (e.g. martı sürüsünü = “the flock of seagulls” as an object), but subjects remain unmarked and rely on context or demonstratives.

Why is the present continuous suffix -iyor used here instead of the simple present -r (aorist)?

The aorist -r expresses habitual or general truths. The present continuous -iyor describes an action happening right now or in progress. Since the seagulls are actively gliding in that moment, süzülüyor (present continuous) is appropriate.