Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Üst kat sessiz.
Why isn’t there a verb like to be or is in Üst kat sessiz?
In Turkish, the present‐tense copula (the equivalent of “to be”) is usually omitted in simple predicative sentences. Adjectives and nouns can stand alone to express “X is Y.” So Üst kat sessiz literally means “(The) upper floor is quiet” without inserting a separate is.
Why is there no article like the or a before üst kat?
Turkish does not have definite or indefinite articles. Context tells you whether something is specific or general. Üst kat can mean “upper floor,” “an upper floor,” or “the upstairs,” depending on the situation—no extra word for “the” or “a” is needed.
What case is üst kat in, and why doesn’t it have a locative suffix like -ta/-de?
Here üst kat is in the nominative case as the sentence’s subject. You only add a locative suffix when indicating location (“on the upper floor”). If you wanted “On the upper floor, it is quiet,” you’d say Üst katta sessizlik var or more colloquially Üst katta sessiz (though the latter is a bit elliptical).
Why isn’t sessiz followed by -dir or any other suffix to show “is quiet”?
The suffix -dir (often called the “definitive copula”) is optional and typically used in formal or written Turkish. Everyday speech drops it. So both Üst kat sessiz and Üst kat sessizdir are correct—sessizdir just feels more formal or emphatic.
How is üst kat structured? Is üst an adjective and kat a noun?
Yes. Üst means “upper” or “above,” and kat means “floor” or “story.” In Turkish, adjectives precede the noun they modify, so üst kat = “upper floor.”
How would you turn Üst kat sessiz into a question, “Is the upstairs quiet?”
Add the question particle mi (with vowel‐harmony adjustments) after the predicate:
Üst kat sessiz mi?
How do you form the negative, “The upstairs isn’t quiet”?
Use değil (not) after the adjective:
Üst kat sessiz değil.
You don’t use yok here, because yok negates existence (“there is no…”). To say “there is no quiet upstairs,” you could say Üst katta sessizlik yok, but that’s a different construction.