Learn Hardcore Turkish: Siz uygun musunuz, yoksa yarın sabaha mı bırakalım? - Are you available, or shall we leave it for tomorrow morning?

Siz is the 2nd person plural pronoun, also used for polite singular “you.” It’s optional because the ending -sunuz in musunuz already shows “you (plural/polite).” Including Siz can sound a bit more polite or help emphasize/address a specific person or group. Both are fine:

With pronoun: Siz uygun musunuz…?
Without pronoun: Uygun musunuz…?

How is “uygun musunuz” formed?

It’s a nominal yes/no question built like this:

uygun = suitable
mu = the yes/no question particle (harmonizes as mı/mi/mu/mü)
-sunuz = 2nd person plural/polite agreement Together: uygun musunuz? = “Are you (pl/polite) available/suited (for this)?”

Can I say “Uygunsunuz mu?” instead?

In careful, standard Turkish, the agreement typically attaches to the question particle, so Uygun musunuz? is the preferred form. You may hear Uygunsunuz mu? colloquially, but it can sound nonstandard or clunky in formal writing/speech. Stick with Uygun musunuz?

Why is it “mu” and not “mi/mı/mü”?

Vowel harmony. The last vowel of uygun is u (a back, rounded vowel), so the question particle takes the back rounded form mu: uygun mu…

Is “mu” written as a separate word?

Yes. The question particle mi/mı/mu/mü is written separately from the word it follows, but any suffixes attach to the particle:

Correct: uygun musunuz
Incorrect: uygunmusunuz (don’t glue it to the previous word) Likewise: yarın sabaha mı (particle separate from sabaha).

What does “yoksa” mean here, and how is it different from “ya da/veya”?

Yoksa introduces an alternative with an “or else / if not” feel and is common in questions that offer options or contrast possibilities:

… yoksa …? = “… or else …?” Ya da and veya are neutral “or.” In this sentence, yoksa naturally sets up the second option: “…or shall we leave it for tomorrow morning?”

What exactly does “bırakalım” mean?

It’s the 1st person plural optative/volitive: bırak- (leave, put off) + -alım (“let’s”). So bırakalım = “let’s leave/put it off.” It expresses a suggestion, similar to English “shall we…?”

Why is it “yarın sabaha” and not “yarın sabah”?

Because bırakmak in the sense of “postpone/leave something to a time” takes the dative case. Sabaha is sabah + -a (to morning), i.e., “to (tomorrow) morning.”

Postponing: yarın sabaha bırakmak = “leave it to tomorrow morning”
Plain time adverbial (no dative): yarın sabah görüşürüz = “we’ll meet tomorrow morning”

Could I say “Yarına bırakalım” or “Yarın sabahına bırakalım”?

Yarına bırakalım (to tomorrow) is perfectly natural when the exact time of day isn’t specified.
Yarın sabahına (to tomorrow’s morning, with possessive) is grammatical but sounds stiff/overly formal in everyday speech. Yarın sabaha is the idiomatic choice.

Why is the question particle on “sabaha” and not on the verb?

In Turkish, mi/mı/mu/mü attaches to the element you want to focus on. Yarın sabaha mı bırakalım? emphasizes the time (“tomorrow morning specifically?”). If you say Yarın sabaha bırakalım mı?, the focus is more on the act of postponing (“shall we postpone (at all)?”). Both are correct; they just highlight different parts.

Would “Yarın sabaha bırakalım mı?” also be correct?

Yes. It’s equally grammatical. The difference is nuance/focus:

Yarın sabaha mı bırakalım? emphasizes the time choice.
Yarın sabaha bırakalım mı? emphasizes the suggestion itself.

Is it okay to have two question particles in one sentence?

Yes. There are two coordinated clauses, each with its own question:

Siz uygun musunuz, yoksa yarın sabaha mı bırakalım? Each clause asks about a different option. That’s normal with yoksa when offering alternatives.

What are we “leaving”? Why is there no object?

Turkish often drops objects when they’re obvious from context. Here, it’s “this/that meeting, plan, call, task, etc.” You can include it if needed:

Bunu yarın sabaha mı bırakalım?
Görüşmeyi yarın sabaha mı bırakalım?

Is “Uygun musunuz?” the best way to ask about availability?

It’s fine, but note the nuance:

Müsait misiniz? = “Are you free/available (time-wise)?” (most direct for schedules)
Uygun musunuz? = “Does this suit you? Is it convenient for you?” (suitability/convenience)

How would I say this informally to one person?

Use singular informal endings:

Sen uygun musun, yoksa yarın sabaha mı bırakalım? If you want to suggest that you (alone) will do the postponing: … yoksa yarın sabaha bırakayım mı?

Can I use a more formal verb than “bırakmak” here?

Yes. Ertelemek (“to postpone”) is a bit more formal:

Siz uygun musunuz, yoksa yarın sabaha mı erteleyelim?

Is the comma before “yoksa” necessary?

It’s standard and helpful, because you’re separating two clauses/options. You’ll commonly see a comma before yoksa in sentences like this.