Learn Hardcore Turkish: Pasaport geçerli.

In Turkish, the copula -dir (which would make it Pasaport geçerlidir) is often omitted in everyday speech. The adjective geçerli itself serves as the predicate, so Pasaport geçerli is understood as “The passport is valid.”

What is the grammatical case of pasaport here?

Pasaport is in the nominative case (no suffix) because it functions as the subject of the sentence. Subjects in Turkish typically remain unmarked.

Why is geçerli placed after pasaport? Aren’t adjectives before nouns in Turkish?

When an adjective modifies a noun directly (attributive use), it comes before the noun (geçerli pasaport = “valid passport”). However, here geçerli is used predicatively (as part of the predicate), so the noun (subject) appears first, followed by the adjective.

Can I add the copula -dir to make the sentence more formal?

Yes. In formal or written contexts, you can say Pasaport geçerlidir. The suffix -dir adds formality or completeness, but omitting it is standard in everyday conversation.

How would I make this sentence negative?