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Questions & Answers about Mutfak tertemiz.
What does tertemiz add compared to temiz?
Tertemiz is an emphatic form of temiz: it means spotless, squeaky clean, stronger than just clean. So Mutfak tertemiz is more emphatic than Mutfak temiz.
How is tertemiz formed? Is ter a separate word?
It’s formed by a Turkish intensification pattern called pekiştirme. You take the first syllable of the adjective and insert one of p/s/m/r to create a reinforcing syllable: te → ter + temiz → tertemiz. Here ter is not the word for sweat; it’s just an intensifying syllable. Other examples: masmavi (from mavi), bembeyaz (from beyaz), sapsarı (from sarı), kıpkırmızı (from kırmızı), kapkara (from kara).
Can I say çok tertemiz?
It’s usually avoided; tertemiz already means very/absolutely clean. Use either çok temiz or tertemiz, not both together, unless you’re going for casual hyperbole.
Where is the verb to be in Mutfak tertemiz?
Turkish drops the present to be. Nominal sentences are just Subject + Predicate: Mutfak tertemiz. You can add the copular suffix for a more formal tone: Mutfak tertemizdir.
Do I need an article like the or a with mutfak?
Turkish has no articles. Mutfak tertemiz can mean The kitchen is spotless or A/the kitchen is spotless depending on context. If you specifically mean a, you can say Bir mutfak tertemiz (rare as a standalone sentence; more natural in a larger context).
How do I make it a question or a negative?
- Yes/No question: Mutfak tertemiz mi?
- Negative: Mutfak tertemiz değil.
- Negative question: Mutfak tertemiz değil mi?
How do I say My kitchen is spotless?
Mutfağım tertemiz. Note the sound change: mutfak + -ım → mutfağım (k → ğ before a vowel). Other persons: Mutfağın tertemiz (your), Mutfağı tertemiz (his/her/its).
What about word order and emphasis? Can I add adverbs?
Yes. The focused/new information tends to come last.
- Şimdi mutfak tertemiz. (Now the kitchen is spotless.)
- Mutfak şimdi tertemiz. (It is now spotless; emphasis on the time change.)
- Mutfak gerçekten tertemiz. (Adds emphasis with gerçekten.)
Can tertemiz go before a noun, like a spotless kitchen?
Yes: tertemiz bir mutfak is the most natural for an indefinite noun. Without bir, tertemiz mutfak is possible when the noun is specific/known (e.g., tertemiz mutfak beni etkiledi), but with indefinites bir is usually used.
When would I use -dir as in Mutfak tertemizdir?
Use -dir for a formal/neutral register, to state general truths, or to mark inference/assumption. In everyday speech you normally say Mutfak tertemiz.
How is tertemiz pronounced and stressed?
It’s three syllables: ter-te-miz, with strong stress on the first part: TERtemiz. Many intensified forms shift the stress to the reinforcing syllable.
Can tertemiz be used as an adverb?
Yes, it can modify verbs:
- Bulaşıkları tertemiz yıkadım. (I washed the dishes spotlessly.)
- Evi tertemiz yaptılar. (They made the house spotless.)
How do I talk about the past or reported speech?
- Past: Mutfak tertemizdi. (The kitchen was spotless.)
- Future: Mutfak tertemiz olacak. (The kitchen will be spotless.)
- Reported/hearsay: Mutfak tertemizmiş.
Are there synonyms or set phrases I could use instead of tertemiz?
Common alternatives: pırıl pırıl (sparkling), çiçek gibi (colloquial: fresh/neat), kupkuru (for dry), yepyeni (brand new). For cleanliness specifically, pırıl pırıl is very common: Mutfak pırıl pırıl.
Could I say Mutfağı tertemiz?
Not as a full sentence. Mutfağı is in accusative or 3rd-person possessive form and needs a verb: Mutfağı tertemiz bıraktım (I left the kitchen spotless). As a standalone predicate, keep the nominative: Mutfak tertemiz.