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Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor.

Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor.
The roommate is making tea in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor.

çay
the tea
mutfak
the kitchen
yapmak
to make
ev arkadaşı
the roommate
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Questions & Answers about Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor.

Why is there no separate word for “is” (as in “is making”)?

Turkish expresses tense/aspect with verb suffixes, not a separate “to be.” The present continuous is the suffix -(I)yor.

  • yap- = make/do (verb stem)
    • -ıyor (the -(I)yor suffix; the high vowel is ı here because of vowel harmony after the stem’s last vowel a) = yapıyor “is making/doing.”

So yapıyor already contains the “is making” meaning; no extra “is” is needed.

Why doesn’t çay have an ending like çayı?

Direct objects in Turkish take the accusative ending only if they are definite/specific.

  • çay yapıyor = “is making tea” (non-specific; just tea in general)
  • çayı yapıyor = “is making the tea” (that specific tea we have in mind)

Because this sentence is non-specific, çay stays bare.

What exactly is ev arkadaşı? Does the final -ı mean “his/her friend”?

Ev arkadaşı is an indefinite compound noun meaning “roommate/housemate” (literally “house-friend”). In such compounds, the second noun takes a 3rd-person possessive-like ending (here -ı), but it does NOT mean “his/her” in this context—it’s just part of the compound pattern.

  • ev arkadaşı = roommate/housemate (dictionary form)
  • ev arkadaşım = my roommate
  • Ali’nin ev arkadaşı = Ali’s roommate

You wouldn’t say ev arkadaş; the compound needs the ending on the second word.

Why is it mutfakta and not mutfakda?

The locative “in/at/on” is -DA/DE/TA/TE. You choose:

  • A/E by vowel harmony (after a/ı/o/u use a; after e/i/ö/ü use e),
  • D/T by consonant voicing (after a voiceless consonant like p, ç, t, k, f, h, s, ş, use T).

Since mutfak ends with voiceless k and the last vowel is a, you get mutfakta.

What’s the word order? Can I move words around?

Neutral Turkish order is typically Subject – (Place/Time) – Object – Verb.

  • Neutral: Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor. You can front something for emphasis/focus:
  • Focus on place: Mutfakta ev arkadaşı çay yapıyor. The verb generally stays at the end. Moving elements changes emphasis, not basic meaning.
How would I say “My roommate is making tea in the kitchen”?

Ev arkadaşım mutfakta çay yapıyor.
(You can also specify someone’s roommate: Onun ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor. = “His/Her roommate…”.)

Is çay yapıyor natural, or should I use another verb like demlemek?

Çay yapmak is perfectly fine and common. For more precision:

  • çay demlemek = to brew tea (esp. Turkish-style black tea)
  • çay koymak = to pour/serve tea into cups
  • çay hazırlamak = to prepare tea (general) In everyday speech, çay yapıyor is very natural.
How do I pronounce the special letters here?
  • ç = “ch” as in “chocolate” (e.g., çay ≈ “chay”)
  • ş = “sh” as in “shoe” (in arkadaşı)
  • ı (dotless i) = a back, unrounded vowel; like the “e” in “roses” for many English speakers, or a relaxed “uh” (in yapıyor, arkadaşı)
  • In mutfakta, the tf cluster is pronounced in one breath: “mut-fak-ta.”
  • Syllables: Ev ar-ka-da-şı mut-fak-ta çay ya-pı-yor.
What’s the difference between yapıyor and yapar?
  • yapıyor = present continuous (“is making” right now/around now)
  • yapar = aorist/habitual (“makes” generally, as a habit or timeless fact) Example: Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapar. = “The roommate makes tea in the kitchen (habitually).”
How do I negate or ask a yes/no question with this sentence?
  • Negation (present continuous): insert -m- before the -(I)yor and harmonize the vowel:
    • Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapmıyor. = “The roommate isn’t making tea…”
  • Yes/No question: add the question particle (harmonized) as a separate word:
    • Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor mu?
    • Negative question: Ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapmıyor mu?
Why isn’t there any word for “the” or “a”?

Turkish has no articles like “the” or “a.” Indefiniteness can be expressed (optionally) with bir:

  • Bir ev arkadaşı mutfakta çay yapıyor. = “A roommate is making tea.”
    Definiteness is often shown by context or by case-marking on objects (e.g., çayı = “the tea”).
Why is it ev arkadaşı and not ev arkadaş?

Noun–noun compounds in Turkish typically put a 3rd person possessive ending on the second noun. That’s how the compound is formed:

  • ev arkadaşı (correct)
  • ev arkadaş (incorrect)
How do I say “in/to/from the kitchen” with cases?
  • In/at: mutfakta (locative -DA/DE/TA/TE)
  • To(ward): mutfağa (dative -A/E; note final k → ğ before a vowel)
  • From: mutfaktan (ablative -DAn/DEn/TAn/TEn)

Examples:

  • Ev arkadaşı mutfağa gidiyor. = “(He/She) is going to the kitchen.”
  • Ev arkadaşı mutfaktan geliyor. = “(He/She) is coming from the kitchen.”
Do I need the pronoun o (“he/she/that one”) here?

No. Turkish usually drops subject pronouns when the subject is clear from context or explicitly stated. You’d use o only for emphasis or contrast:

  • O, ev arkadaşı değil; o komşu. = “He/She isn’t the roommate; he/she is the neighbor.”
How would I say it in the plural, like “The roommates are making tea”?
  • Subject plural: Ev arkadaşları mutfakta çay yapıyor(lar).
    The verb can be either singular or plural in 3rd person plural; -lar on the verb is optional in many contexts.
    Note: ev arkadaşları can mean “roommates” (plural) or “his/her/their roommate(s)” depending on context. If you need to be explicit:
  • “Their roommates”: Onların ev arkadaşları
  • “Roommates” (no possessor, just plural): often clear from context or you can rephrase (e.g., Evdeki arkadaşlar “the friends in the house”).