Şekerlik boşalmış, şekerliği doldurabilir misin?

The sugar bowl is empty; can you fill it?

Breakdown of Şekerlik boşalmış, şekerliği doldurabilir misin?

• şekerlik: the sugar bowl
• boşalmak: to empty (become empty)
• doldurabilmek: to be able to fill

Questions & Answers about Şekerlik boşalmış, şekerliği doldurabilir misin?

What exactly does şekerlik mean, and how is it formed?

It means a sugar bowl (the container you keep sugar in on the table). It’s built from şeker (sugar) + the derivational suffix -lik, which often forms containers or holders (compare tuzluk “salt shaker,” peçetelik “napkin holder”). Note: şekerli (with the suffix -li) means “with sugar/sugary,” not “sugar bowl.”

Why is it şekerliği in the second clause? What’s that -i?

That’s the definite accusative marking the direct object: you’re referring to “the sugar bowl,” a specific item. So şekerlik (base) + accusative -i → şekerliği. Because şekerlik ends in k, it softens to ğ before a vowel-initial suffix: şekerlik + -i → şekerliği. The vowel in -i is chosen by 4-way vowel harmony; the last vowel of şekerlik is i, so you use -i. (No apostrophe is used; apostrophes are only for proper names.)

Why not say şekeri instead?

Şekeri would mean “the sugar” (the substance). In Turkish you normally “fill the container,” so you say şekerliği doldurmak. If you want to say what you fill it with, use the instrumental: Şekerliği şekerle doldurur musun? (“with sugar”).

What nuance does -miş add in boşalmış?

The -miş past is evidential/inferential: it often signals you’ve just discovered or inferred the result (“Looks like it has emptied out”). Compare boşaldı, which presents it as a witnessed/known past event (“it emptied”).

Could I just say Şekerlik boş instead of Şekerlik boşalmış?

Yes, but the nuance differs. Boş states a static property (“it’s empty”), while boşalmış suggests a change-of-state with a present result (“it’s ended up empty / has become empty”), which fits nicely when you just noticed it.

What’s the difference between boşalmak and boşaltmak?

• boşalmak (intransitive): “to become empty” (no agent). Example: Şişe boşalmış (“The bottle has emptied”).
• boşaltmak (transitive, causative): “to empty (something).” Example: Biri şişeyi boşaltmış (“Someone emptied the bottle”). Passive: şişe boşaltılmış (“the bottle has been emptied”).

Why doldurabilir misin? instead of doldurur musun? Is one more polite?

Both are common requests.

• doldurabilir misin? literally “Can/Could you fill it?” (ability/possibility) and often feels slightly softer.
• doldurur musun? is the aorist request “Would you fill it?” and is also polite in everyday speech.
  For more formality, use plural/formal: doldurabilir misiniz? / doldurur musunuz? Adding lütfen or acaba softens it further.

How does the question particle mi work here, and why is it misin (not musun)?

mi/mı/mu/mü is a clitic question particle written as a separate word and follows the element it questions. It obeys vowel harmony and takes personal endings: mi + -sin → misin. Because the last vowel of doldurabilir is i, you use mi, not mu/mı/mü: doldurabilir misin?

Can I leave out şekerliği or replace it with a pronoun?

Yes. If it’s clear from context, Doldurabilir misin? is fine. You can also use a pronoun: Onu doldurabilir misin? (“Can you fill it?”), provided the referent is obvious.

How do I pronounce şekerliği, especially the ğ?

Turkish ğ (yumuşak g) doesn’t make a hard “g” sound; it lengthens or glides the preceding vowel. şekerliği sounds roughly like “şe-ker-lii” (with a lengthened “i” before the final -i).

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Doldurabilir misin, şekerliği?

Neutral is object before the verb: Şekerliği doldurabilir misin? You can sometimes place the object after the question for afterthought emphasis: Doldurabilir misin, şekerliği? (colloquial). Don’t split mi away from the verb; it must immediately follow the word it questions.

Is the comma correct between the two parts?

In speech-like writing it’s fine, but in formal writing a period or semicolon is cleaner: Şekerlik boşalmış. Şekerliği doldurabilir misin? The question mark goes only at the end of the question clause.

Are there other natural ways to say this?

Yes, for example:

• Şekerlik boşalmış, doldurur musun?
• Şekerlik boş galiba; şekerliği doldurabilir misin?
• More formal/polite: Şekerliği doldurabilir misiniz (lütfen)? Also, şekerlik can be replaced by şeker kabı in some contexts. Remember şekerli means “with sugar/sweetened,” not “sugar bowl.”