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Questions & Answers about Soğan taze.
Where is the verb “to be”? Why is there no “is”?
Turkish drops the present-tense “to be” in third person. Soğan taze literally says “Onion fresh.”
- 1st/2nd persons take endings: Ben tazeyim, Sen tazesin.
- 3rd person has zero: O taze; Soğan taze.
- Other tenses add endings or use ol-: Soğan tazeydi (was), Soğan taze olacak (will be).
How do you pronounce soğan taze? What is that letter ğ?
- soğan: roughly “so-ahn.” ğ isn’t a hard “g”; it lengthens/smooths the previous vowel: o becomes a bit longer. Many say something like [soːan].
- taze: “ta-ze,” with a voiced z.
- Don’t drop the diacritics: writing sogan is incorrect.
Does it mean “the onion” or “an onion”?
Turkish has no articles. Soğan can mean “the onion” or “an onion,” depending on context. In a typical remark like this, it’s understood as “the onion (we’re talking about) is fresh.”
Could it mean “Onions are fresh” (in general)?
Use the plural for a general statement: Soğanlar taze (“Onions are fresh”). Singular Soğan taze normally refers to a specific onion in context.
What’s the difference between Soğan taze and Taze soğan?
- Soğan taze is a complete sentence: “The onion is fresh.”
- Taze soğan is a noun phrase: “fresh onion(s).” In everyday use, taze soğan often means “spring/green onion,” a specific vegetable.
How do I negate it?
Use değil after the predicate:
- Soğan taze değil. = The onion isn’t fresh.
- Past: Soğan taze değildi.
- With people: Ben taze değilim, Sen taze değilsin, etc.
How do I ask “Is the onion fresh?”
Add the yes–no particle after the predicate:
- Soğan taze mi? The particle harmonizes (mı/mi/mu/mü) with the last vowel of the word it follows; after taze it’s mi.
When should I use the ending -dir/-dır/-dur/-dür?
It makes the statement more formal, factual, or general: Soğan tazedir. It’s common in writing or definitions. After voiceless consonants it appears as -tir/-tir (e.g., gençtir); after taze it’s tazedir.
How do I say it in the past, future, or reported speech?
- Past: Soğan tazeydi.
- Future: Soğan taze olacak.
- Reported/inferential: Soğan tazeymiş.
How does person marking work with adjectives?
Add personal endings to the predicate:
- Ben tazeyim, Sen tazesin, O taze
- Biz tazeyiz, Siz tazesiniz, Onlar taze(ler) Predicate plural -ler is optional and usually omitted with inanimate subjects.
Is the word order fixed?
In nominal sentences, the predicate typically comes last: Subject + Predicate. So Soğan taze is the neutral order. Taze soğan is an attributive phrase (“fresh onion”), not a full sentence.
Should the predicate be plural with plural subjects?
With non-human subjects you normally keep the predicate singular: Soğanlar taze. You can add -ler or -dir for emphasis/formality (Soğanlar tazedir), but the simple form is most common.
Why is there no case ending on soğan? What would soğanı mean here?
Subjects are unmarked (bare nominative). Soğanı in this position would be read as onun soğanı (“his/her onion”) because -ı can be a 3rd-person possessive marker. Don’t add -ı unless you intend possession or have a transitive verb needing accusative.
Can I add a demonstrative like “this/that”?
Yes:
- Bu soğan taze = This onion is fresh.
- Şu soğan taze = That onion (near you) is fresh.
- O soğan taze = That onion (over there) is fresh.
How do I say “very fresh” or “quite fresh”?
Use an intensifier before the adjective:
- Soğan çok taze.
- Soğan gayet/oldukça/pek taze.
How do I say “There is fresh onion”?
Use the existence words var/yok:
- Taze soğan var. = There is fresh/spring onion.
- Taze soğan yok. = There isn’t any fresh/spring onion. This differs from Soğan taze (describing a specific onion).
Do adjectives agree with the noun? Any gender to worry about?
No gender in Turkish, and adjectives don’t change for number or gender when attributive: taze soğan, taze soğanlar. The adjective stays taze.
Is Soğan taze natural, or should I prefer Soğan tazedir?
Both are correct. Soğan taze is the everyday spoken form. Soğan tazedir feels more formal, emphatic, or “stated as a fact,” and is common in writing.
Is taze the same as yeni?
Not exactly. Taze = fresh (for food, flowers, bread). Yeni = new (not old/previous). For edibility/freshness, use taze: taze ekmek, taze meyve.
How would I ask “Which onion is fresh?”
Use a wh-word and keep the predicate last:
- Hangi soğan taze?
- Plural: Hangi soğanlar taze?