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Questions & Answers about Akrabalar yarın eve geliyor.
Why is the verb singular (geliyor) when the subject (Akrabalar) is plural? Shouldn’t it be geliyorlar?
In Turkish, third-person plural agreement on the verb is optional when the subject is explicitly plural.
- Both Akrabalar yarın eve geliyor and Akrabalar yarın eve geliyorlar are correct.
- When the subject is human and specific (as here), adding -lar to the verb (geliyorlar) is very common in everyday speech.
- The singular verb (geliyor) sounds a bit more neutral or formal and is also typical with numerals or generic/plural subjects (e.g., Üç kişi geliyor).
What’s the difference between using geliyor (present continuous) and gelecek (future) here?
Both work with a future time like yarın:
- Akrabalar yarın eve geliyor(lar). Suggests a plan/arrangement already in place (“are coming tomorrow”).
- Akrabalar yarın eve gelecek(ler). A straightforward future (“will come tomorrow”), slightly more neutral or predictive. For plural subjects, -ler on the verb is again optional: gelecek / gelecekler.
Where does yarın go in the sentence? Is the word order flexible?
Yes. Common and natural options:
- Yarın akrabalar eve geliyor(lar). (Time first; very typical.)
- Akrabalar yarın eve geliyor(lar). (Your original; also fine.) Putting the place after the verb is unusual, so avoid … geliyor(lar) eve. Word order changes the emphasis but not the basic meaning.
Why is it eve and not ev or evde?
Case marking:
- ev: bare form (“house/home” as a subject or object).
- eve: dative = “to the house/home” (direction).
- evde: locative = “at/in the house/home” (location).
- evden: ablative = “from the house/home” (source). Here we need direction, so eve.
Does eve mean “home (my home)” or just “to a house”?
Without a possessive, eve often means “(to) home,” and in many contexts defaults to the speaker’s home. But it can be ambiguous. If you want to be explicit:
- evime = “to my home”
- evimize = “to our home” Context usually clarifies whether it’s your home, someone else’s, or just “to the house.”
How do I say “to our place” or “to us” instead of “to the house”?
- Evimize = “to our house/home.”
- Bize = “to us” (very common to mean “to our place” in conversation).
- Yanımıza = “to our side/place (physically to where we are).” Examples: Akrabalar yarın bize geliyor(lar). / Akrabalar yarın evimize geliyor(lar).
What’s the singular of akrabalar? Can akraba already mean “relatives”?
- Singular: akraba = “a relative.”
- Plural: akrabalar = “relatives.” In everyday Turkish, akraba can act like a collective plural with quantifiers: çok akraba (“many relatives”), iki akraba (“two relatives” — after numbers the noun stays singular). Using akrabalar clearly marks plural on the noun itself.
Where is “the” or “my” in this sentence? How do you show definiteness or possession?
Turkish has no articles (“the/a”). Akrabalar will often be understood as “the relatives” from context (usually one’s own). To show possession:
- akrabalarım = my relatives
- akrabalarımız = our relatives You can also use a pronoun for emphasis: Benim akrabalarım, Bizim akrabalarımız.
How do I make this negative or turn it into a yes/no question?
- Negative: Akrabalar yarın eve gelmiyor(lar).
- Yes/no question: attach the question particle as a separate word with vowel harmony:
- Akrabalar yarın eve geliyor mu?
- With plural agreement: Akrabalar yarın eve geliyorlar mı? Note: The particle harmonizes (mı/mi/mu/mü); after geliyor, it’s mu.
Is Akrabalar yarın geliyor(lar) eve okay?
That order is unnatural. Place complements (like destination) before the verb:
- Natural: Akrabalar yarın eve geliyor(lar).
- Also natural: Yarın akrabalar eve geliyor(lar). Avoid putting eve after geliyor(lar).
What about gelir? Can I say Akrabalar yarın eve gelir?
Gelir is the aorist (simple present/habitual). With a future time adverb like yarın, it can mean:
- A scheduled/typical occurrence (“They come tomorrow” as part of a plan or timetable).
- A prediction/expectation (“They’ll likely come tomorrow.”) However, to express a planned near-future visit by people, geliyor(lar) or gelecek(ler) is more common.
How does vowel harmony explain akrabalar and eve?
- Plural suffix: -lar after back vowels (a, ı, o, u); -ler after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü). Akraba ends with a → akrabalar.
- Dative suffix: -a after back vowels; -e after front vowels. Ev has e → eve. Another example: okul → okula.
Any quick pronunciation tips for words here?
- ı (dotless i) in Turkish is a back, unrounded vowel (/ɯ/), somewhat like the final vowel in English “sofa” but farther back.
- r is tapped/flapped; keep it quick.
- ev: short e as in “bed.”
- yarın: two syllables “ya-rın”; keep ı as above. Syllabification: ak-ra-ba-lar, ya-rın, e-ve, ge-li-yor.