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Questions & Answers about Bu çorba çok yağlı.
What does each word mean, and how is the sentence built?
- Bu = this (demonstrative)
- çorba = soup (noun)
- çok = very/a lot (adverb here)
- yağlı = oily/greasy/fatty (adjective), from yağ (oil/fat) + suffix -lı (with/that has)
Structure: Subject/topic Bu çorba
- predicate adjective çok yağlı. Turkish drops the verb “to be” in simple present third person, so there’s no separate word for is.
Why is there no word for is?
Turkish uses a zero copula in simple present third person: subject + predicate, no explicit verb. You can optionally add the formal/definitive copula suffix -dır/dir for emphasis or general truths: Bu çorba çok yağlıdır.
How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?
- ç like English ch: çorba ≈ chor-ba
- ğ (yumuşak g) doesn’t make its own consonant sound; it lengthens/softens the preceding vowel: yağlı ≈ yaa-luh
- ı (dotless i) is a back unrounded vowel, like the a in sofa: yağlı ends with that quick “uh” sound
- çok ≈ chok, Bu ≈ boo Stress is typically on the last syllable: çor-BA, yağ-LI.
Does çok mean very or too?
Primarily “very/much/a lot.” In complaints, it can be understood as “too” from context, but to be explicit use:
- Bu çorba çok yağlı. = very (often felt as “too” in context)
- Bu çorba fazla/aşırı yağlı. = too oily
What does the suffix -lı do in yağlı?
It means “with/that has/covered in” and forms adjectives from nouns. Examples:
- yağ
- -lı → yağlı (oily)
- tuz
- -lu → tuzlu (salty) Opposite: -sız/suz → yağsız (without oil, fat-free). Vowel harmony chooses -lı/li/lu/lü.
Can I drop Bu? What changes?
Yes.
- Bu çorba çok yağlı. = This specific soup is very oily.
- Çorba çok yağlı. = The soup (the one we’re talking about) is very oily, or “soup is very oily” (generic), depending on context. Turkish has no the/a articles.
How do I make it a yes/no question?
Use the question particle after the predicate, written separately:
- Bu çorba çok yağlı mı? = Is this soup very oily? The particle follows vowel harmony: mı/mi/mu/mü. For a confirmation tag: Bu çorba çok yağlı, değil mi?
How do I negate it?
Use değil after the predicate:
- Bu çorba çok yağlı değil. = This soup is not very oily.
- Bu çorba yağlı değil. = This soup is not oily. Or use the opposite adjective: Bu çorba yağsız.
If I want to say oily soup (before the noun), what changes?
Use the adjective attributively before the noun:
- yağlı çorba = oily soup
- çok yağlı çorba = very oily soup The adjective form yağlı doesn’t change.
Do adjectives agree with the noun in number or gender?
No. Turkish has no grammatical gender, and adjectives don’t inflect for number:
- Çorbalar çok yağlı. = The soups are very oily. (yağlı stays the same.)
Is the word order fixed? Can I say Çok yağlı bu çorba?
Default is topic/subject first, predicate last: Bu çorba çok yağlı. You can front the predicate for emphasis: Çok yağlı bu çorba. That sounds like “Very oily, this soup (is)”—natural for emphasis.
How do I say more/most/less oily?
- daha yağlı = more oily/fattier
- en yağlı = the most oily
- daha az yağlı / az yağlı = less oily / low-fat Examples: Bu çorba diğerinden daha yağlı. / En yağlı çorba hangisi?
Does yağlı mean oily, fatty, or greasy?
All of the above, depending on context. For soup it often means greasy/rich in oil; for meat or dairy it can mean fatty/high-fat. It isn’t inherently negative, but in complaints it implies “too greasy.”
Any quick restaurant phrases related to this?
- Az yağlı olabilir mi? = Could it be low-fat?
- Daha az yağlı yapar mısınız? = Would you make it less oily?
- Yağsız olabilir mi? = Could it be without oil?
What’s the difference between bu, şu, and o?
They’re all demonstratives:
- bu = this (near the speaker): Bu çorba = this soup (here, with me)
- şu = that (near the listener or in view): Şu çorba = that soup (there)
- o = that (far from both or previously mentioned): O çorba = that soup (over there/that one we mentioned)