Questions & Answers about Baba oğul sinemaya gidiyor.
Why is there no ve (and) between baba and oğul?
Turkish often omits ve in set pairings to mean “X and Y” as a unit. Baba oğul is a common fixed duo meaning “father and son.” You can also say Baba ve oğul sinemaya gidiyor(lar); both are correct, but the version without ve feels a bit more like “father and son (together as a pair).”
Shouldn’t the verb be plural? Why is it gidiyor and not gidiyorlar?
Both are possible:
- Baba oğul sinemaya gidiyor. (3rd singular) treats the pair as a single unit; it’s common and sounds natural/idiomatic with fixed duos.
- Baba oğul sinemaya gidiyorlar. (3rd plural) is also correct and explicitly agrees with the two-person subject. Use singular to emphasize the duo as a unit; use plural for straightforward subject–verb agreement. Neither is “wrong.”
Does baba oğul specifically mean a father with his own son?
Not necessarily. Baba oğul names the roles “father and son” as a pair, without marking possession. If you want to be explicit that it’s the father with his (own) son, say:
- Baba ve oğlu sinemaya gidiyor(lar). (the father and his son)
- or Baba oğluyla sinemaya gidiyor. (the father is going with his son)
Does this mean “the father and son” or “a father and son”? There’s no article.