Emlakçı bana kartvizit verdi.

The realtor gave me a business card.

Breakdown of Emlakçı bana kartvizit verdi.

• vermek: to give
• ben: me
• -a: to
• emlakçı: the realtor
• kartvizit: the business card

Questions & Answers about Emlakçı bana kartvizit verdi.

What exactly does emlakçı mean? Is it gendered?

Emlakçı means real estate agent/realtor. It’s built from emlak (property) + the agentive suffix -cı/-ci/-cu/-cü. It’s gender‑neutral; to specify gender you can say kadın emlakçı (female agent) or erkek emlakçı (male agent).

Do I need a subject pronoun like “he/she” in Turkish here?

No. Turkish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows who did the action. Here the subject is already a noun (emlakçı), so adding o (he/she) isn’t needed. If you say O emlakçı, it means that/this realtor (for pointing out a specific person).

Why are there no articles like the or a in the sentence?

Turkish has no articles. Definite vs. indefinite is handled by context and case-marking:

• Definite direct objects take the accusative (e.g., kartviziti = the business card).
• Indefinite direct objects are usually bare (e.g., kartvizit = a business card).
• Indefinite subjects are typically marked with bir.

Do I need bir before kartvizit to mean “a business card”?

Not necessary. As a direct object, bare kartvizit already reads as “a business card.” Adding bir (→ bir kartvizit) is fine if you want to stress “one/single” card.

If I mean “A realtor…,” should I say Bir emlakçı?

Yes. Indefinite subjects are usually introduced with bir: Bir emlakçı bana kartvizit verdi = A realtor gave me a business card. Without bir, Emlakçı… tends to mean “the realtor” (definite) or a generic class (“realtors”).

What does bana mean and how is it formed?

Bana is the dative form of ben (I), meaning “to me.” The dative marks a recipient/direction. Useful contrasts:

• Dative (to): bana, sana, ona, bize, size, onlara
• Accusative (me): beni
• Locative (on/at me): bende
• Ablative (from me): benden
• Genitive (my): benim

Why is it bana, not something like bene?

The dative suffix is -(y)e/-(y)a by vowel harmony, but 1st/2nd person singular pronouns are irregular: ben → bana, sen → sana. Regular nouns follow harmony: okul+a → okula, Ali+ye → Ali’ye.

Why doesn’t kartvizit have an ending? Shouldn’t it be kartviziti?

Because it’s an indefinite direct object. In Turkish, indefinite objects are unmarked: kartvizit = a business card. If you mean a specific/known card, use the accusative: kartviziti. Compare:

• Emlakçı bana kartvizit verdi. = …gave me a business card.
• Emlakçı bana kartviziti verdi. = …gave me the business card.

What tense is verdi, and what is the verb?

Verdi is the simple past (-DI) of vermek (to give), 3rd person singular: “(he/she) gave.” Examples:

• I gave: verdim
• You gave: verdin
• He/She gave: verdi
• We gave: verdik
• You (pl/formal) gave: verdiniz
• They gave: verdiler

What’s the difference between verdi, vermiş, veriyor, and verir?

• verdi: simple/certain past (I know it happened).
• vermiş: reported/inferred past (“apparently/it seems (s/he) gave”).
• veriyor: present continuous (“is giving/keeps giving”).
• verir: aorist/habitual (“gives” in general truths/habits).

Is the word order SOV? Can I move things around for emphasis?

Default is subject – indirect object – direct object – verb, and the element right before the verb is typically in focus.

• Neutral: Emlakçı bana kartvizit verdi.
• Focus on the recipient (“to me”): Emlakçı kartviziti bana verdi.
• Focus on the object (“the card” vs. something else): Emlakçı bana kartviziti verdi. Fronting for topic is also possible (e.g., Bana emlakçı kartvizit verdi), but the main focus still sits before the verb.

How do I make it a yes–no question?

Add the question particle, which harmonizes as mi/mı/mü/mu, after the verb phrase:

• Emlakçı bana kartvizit verdi mi? = Did the realtor give me a business card?

How do I say it in the negative?

Use the negative marker -me/-ma before the past ending:

• Emlakçı bana kartvizit vermedi. = The realtor didn’t give me a business card.

How do I say “He gave me his business card”?

Add 3rd‑person possessive + accusative to the object:

• Emlakçı bana kartvizitini verdi. (literally “gave me his/her business card,” definite and possessed)

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

• ç = ch in “church” (e.g., emlakçı = em-lak-chı).
• ı (dotless i) = a close, back unrounded vowel (like a quick, unstressed “uh”).
• Stress is usually toward the last syllable: em-lak-ÇI, kart-vi-ZİT, ver-Dİ.

Is kartvizit one word or two?

Standard modern Turkish writes it as one word: kartvizit. You may see kart vizit informally, but the single-word form is the norm.

Can I omit bana?

Only if you don’t want to specify the recipient. Emlakçı kartvizit verdi just says “The realtor gave a business card (to someone).” If you mean “to me,” keep bana.

How do I talk about multiple cards?

Use a quantity word for an indefinite plural:

• Birkaç kartvizit verdi. = He gave (me) a few business cards. Definite plural takes the accusative plural form:
• Kartvizitleri verdi. = He gave (me) the business cards. (definite)

What’s a natural way to say “I got a business card from the realtor”?

Switch perspective to the recipient with almak and the ablative:

• Ben emlakçıdan kartvizit aldım. = I got a business card from the realtor.