Questions & Answers about Taraf seçmek zor.
What does each word mean, and how is the sentence structured?
- taraf = side, party
- seçmek = to choose (root seç-
- infinitive -mek)
- zor = hard, difficult Structure: a verb phrase in the infinitive (taraf seçmek) acts as the subject, and the predicate is the adjective zor. Literally: “Choosing a side is hard.”
Where is the verb “is”? Why doesn’t Turkish use it here?
Turkish often drops the copula “to be” in the 3rd person present. So Taraf seçmek zor means “Choosing a side is hard” without an explicit “is.” You can optionally add the generalizing copular suffix -dır: Taraf seçmek zordur.
Is there any difference between “zor” and “zordur” here?
Both mean “is hard.” Zor is neutral and common in speech. Zordur is more formal, and often implies a general truth or broadly applicable statement.
Why is it “taraf” and not “tarafı”? Shouldn’t the object be accusative?
In Turkish, direct objects are unmarked (no accusative) when they are indefinite/generic. Taraf here means “a side (in general).” If you say tarafı, it becomes definite: Tarafı seçmek zor = “Choosing the side (a specific one we both know) is hard.”
Can I add “bir” to mean “a side”?