Düğüm gevşek.

The knot is loose.

Breakdown of Düğüm gevşek.

• olmak: to be
• düğüm: the knot
• gevşek: loose

Questions & Answers about Düğüm gevşek.

Why is there no word for “is” in Düğüm gevşek?

Turkish doesn’t use a separate “to be” in the simple present for third person. A noun/adjective can function as the predicate by itself. So Düğüm gevşek literally reads “Knot loose,” which corresponds to “The knot is loose.” You can optionally add the copular suffix -dir for formality or certainty: Düğüm gevşektir.

When should I use -dir (as in Düğüm gevşektir)?

• Formal or written style (reports, definitions)
• General truths or categorizations
• Speaker certainty/inference/emphasis In casual, here-and-now statements, you usually leave it off: Düğüm gevşek. Negative with this suffix is değildir: Düğüm gevşek değildir.

How do I make the negative or ask a yes–no question?

• Negative: Düğüm gevşek değil.
• Yes–no question: Düğüm gevşek mi? The particle mi/mı/mu/mü follows vowel harmony and is written separately. With gevşek you use mi. Short answers: Evet, gevşek. / Hayır, gevşek değil.

Does Düğüm mean “the knot” or “a knot”?

Turkish has no articles. Bare düğüm can be understood as “the knot” if context makes it specific. To be explicit:

• “The knot”: Bu düğüm gevşek. (“This knot is loose.”)
• “A knot is loose” in the sense of existence: use var → Gevşek bir düğüm var. Saying Bir düğüm gevşek is grammatically possible but sounds odd; Turkish prefers the existential var structure for new/indefinite information.

What’s the difference between Düğüm gevşek and gevşek düğüm?

• Düğüm gevşek is a sentence with a predicative adjective: “The knot is loose.”
• Gevşek düğüm is a noun phrase: “a loose knot.” To assert existence you’d say Gevşek bir düğüm var.

How do I talk about multiple knots?

• “The knots are loose”: Düğümler gevşek. (or more explicitly Bu düğümler gevşek.)
• “Some knots are loose”: Bazı düğümler gevşek.
• Yes–no question: Düğümler gevşek mi? The adjective doesn’t take a plural ending: gevşek stays the same.

How can I say “very/too/a bit loose”?

• Very loose: çok gevşek
• Too (excessively) loose: fazla gevşek or gereğinden fazla gevşek
• A bit/slightly loose: biraz gevşek, azıcık gevşek Opposite: sıkı (“tight”): Düğüm çok sıkı.

How do I pronounce the special letters (ğ, ü, ş) in Düğüm gevşek?

• ğ (yumuşak g): no independent consonant sound; it lengthens the preceding vowel and may create a gentle glide. In düğüm, it makes the ü long: roughly “düüm.” Syllables: dü-ğüm (2 syllables).
• ü: like German ü/French u (front, rounded). Don’t say English “oo.”
• ş: like English “sh.” So gevşek sounds like “gev-shek.” Both words have short “e” as in “get.”

Where is the stress in these words?

Turkish typically stresses the last syllable. So:

• Düğüm: stress on “-ğüm”
• gevşek: stress on “-şek”

What verbs go with this idea (become loose, loosen, come undone)?

• Become loose (intransitive): gevşemek → Düğüm gevşemiş. (“The knot has become loose,” reported/observed)
• Loosen something (transitive): gevşetmek → Düğümü gevşettim. (“I loosened the knot.”)
• Come undone: çözülmek → Düğüm çözüldü. (“The knot came undone.”) To untie: çözmek → Düğümü çözdüm.

How do I emphasize that it’s the knot that is loose (not the rope)?

• Word order/prosody in speech: emphasize Düğüm, e.g., “DÜĞÜM gevşek, ip değil.”
• Relative clause: Gevşek olan düğüm… (“the knot that is loose…”) → Gevşek olan düğümü sık. (“Tighten the knot that is loose.”)

Can I drop the subject and just say Gevşek?

Yes, if it’s clear from context what you’re talking about. For example, after pointing at a knot: Gevşek. Be mindful that gevşek can also describe a person (sloppy, lax) in other contexts, so rely on context.

Any useful suffixes or related forms I should know?

• Cases with düğüm: düğüme (to the knot), düğümü (the knot, accusative), düğümün (of the knot).
• Noun from gevşek: gevşeklik (“looseness”) → düğümün gevşekliği (“the looseness of the knot”).
• Verbal family: gevşemek (become loose), gevşetmek (loosen), gevşetilmek (be loosened, passive).

What are common related adjectives, and when do I use them?

• sıkı: tight/firm (good opposite for gevşek with knots) → Düğüm sıkı.
• gergin: taut/stretched (ropes, cables) → İp gergin.
• bol: loose/roomy (clothes) → Pantolon bol.
• dar: tight/narrow (clothes/spaces) → Ayakkabı dar.