Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kutucuk boş.
What exactly does kutucuk mean, and how is it formed?
It’s the diminutive of kutu (box). Turkish uses the suffix -cık/-cik/-cuk/-cük to mean “little/small” (or to sound affectionate). With vowel harmony, kutu + -cük becomes kutucuk (back, rounded vowel → -cuk). So kutucuk = “little box” and is also commonly used for small square UI elements (like a checkbox).
Why is there no word for “is” in Kutucuk boş?
Turkish often omits “to be” in the 3rd person present. With adjective predicates, you just say subject + adjective:
- Kutucuk boş. = “The little box is empty.” This is a nominal (copular) sentence with a “zero copula.”
When would I say Kutucuk boştur instead?
Adding -dır/-dir/-dur/-dür (here: boştur) makes it sound more formal, generic, or emphatic, like stating a known/general fact or a firm assertion. In everyday speech, Kutucuk boş is more common. Kutucuk boştur can feel bookish or emphatic: “The box is (indeed) empty.”
Does it mean “the little box” or “a little box”?
Turkish has no articles. Kutucuk boş could be “the little box is empty” or “a little box is empty,” depending on context.
- To make it clearly definite: Bu/Şu/O kutucuk boş. (This/That/That over there)
- To make it clearly indefinite: Bir kutucuk boş. (A little box is empty)
How do I make it plural: “The little boxes are empty”?
- Kutucuklar boş. Predicative adjectives generally don’t take plural: not boşlar. You only use plural on the adjective for people in some contexts (e.g., Çocuklar mutlular), but for things, stick to boş.
How do I say “The little box is not empty”?
Use değil to negate adjective predicates:
- Kutucuk boş değil. More formal/emphatic: Kutucuk boş değildir. Opposite adjective: dolu → Kutucuk dolu. (“The little box is full.”)
How do I ask “Is the little box empty?” and answer it?
Use the question particle mi/mı/mü/mu after the predicate:
- Kutucuk boş mu? Possible short answers:
- Evet, boş. (Yes, it’s empty.)
- Hayır, dolu. (No, it’s full.) Negative echo: Hayır, boş değil.
What’s the difference between boş kutucuk and Kutucuk boş?
- boş kutucuk = “an empty little box” (adjective + noun phrase)
- Kutucuk boş. = a full sentence: “The little box is empty.” Attributive adjectives come before the noun; predicative adjectives come after the subject as the predicate.
How do I pronounce kutucuk boş?
- c = English “j” in “jam”: kutu-juk
- ş = “sh” in “shoe”: boş = “bosh”
- Vowels: u like “oo” in “boot” (short), o like “o” in “bore” (pure, not diphthong).
- Stress is typically on the last syllable: ku-tu-CUK; BOŞ is monosyllabic.
What’s the nuance difference between kutu and kutucuk?
- kutu = box (neutral)
- kutucuk = small box, or a “little box” (diminutive). It can sound cute/affectionate or simply indicate small size. In tech/UI, kutucuk is often the small square element.
In UI language, is kutucuk the same as “checkbox”? Any clearer alternatives?
You’ll see kutucuk used informally for any small square input. More explicit terms:
- onay kutusu = checkbox (common)
- seçim kutusu = selection box (also used) For “unchecked,” clearer phrases are:
- Onay kutusu işaretli değil.
- Onay kutusu işaretlenmemiş.
Why is kutucuk unmarked (no case suffix) here?
It’s the subject, so it’s in the nominative (no ending). Case endings appear on objects and certain complements. For comparison, as a definite object you’d mark it accusative:
- Kutucuğu açtım. (“I opened the little box.”) Note the consonant softening: kutucuk + -u → kutucuğu (final -k → -ğ- before a vowel).
Does boş only mean “empty”?
It’s broader:
- empty/blank: Boş sayfa (blank page)
- free/available: Boş musun? (Are you free?)
- vacant: Boş oda (vacant room)
- idle/useless: Boş konuşma! (Don’t talk nonsense!) Antonym: dolu (full).
How do I express past or future: “was/will be empty”?
- Past: Kutucuk boştu. (was empty)
- Future: Kutucuk boş olacak. (will be empty)
- Ongoing/result nuance: Kutucuk boş kaldı. (remained empty)
Can I make it explicitly “this little box is empty”?
Yes:
- Bu kutucuk boş. Similarly: Şu kutucuk boş. / O kutucuk boş. depending on distance.