Learn Hardcore Turkish: Çilek çok lezzetli. - Strawberries are very delicious.

In Turkish, third‑person present‑tense nominal sentences omit the copula. The adjective lezzetli serves as the predicate, so Çilek çok lezzetli is complete without an explicit be‑verb. In other persons you see a suffixal copula: lezzetliyim (I am), lezzetlisin (you are), lezzetli (he/she/it is).

Does çilek mean one strawberry or strawberries in general here?

A bare singular noun can name a whole class in Turkish. Çilek in this sentence is generic: strawberries in general. If you want a specific single one, use a demonstrative, e.g. Bu çilek çok lezzetli.

Can I use the plural and say Çilekler çok lezzetli?

Yes. Çilekler çok lezzetli is also natural. Both the bare singular (Çilek…) and the plural (Çilekler…) can express a generic statement. The singular is a bit more neutral; the plural can sound like you’re thinking of strawberries as items/batches.

Why is there no article like “the” or “a”?

Turkish has no definite article, and indefiniteness is usually left unmarked. Bir can mark indefiniteness (or the numeral one), but you would not normally say Bir çilek çok lezzetli for a general statement. For a specific one, say Bu çilek çok lezzetli.

What does çok mean here—very or many?

Before adjectives/adverbs, çok means very. Before nouns, it means many/much.

Çilek çok lezzetli = very tasty.
Çok çilek var = there are many strawberries.

Where should çok go? Can I say lezzetli çok?

Place çok before the word it modifies. With adjectives, it comes right before them: çok lezzetli. Lezzetli çok is not grammatical.

Is çok the same as “too”?

No. Çok is very/a lot. To say too (excessively), use fazla or çok fazla.

Çok sıcak = very hot.
Fazla sıcak / çok fazla sıcak = too hot.

Why is lezzetli spelled with double z? What does -li do?

It is lezzet (flavor, taste) + the productive adjective suffix -li/‑lı/‑lu/‑lü meaning “with, having.” So lezzetli = having flavor, tasty. The double z comes from the base lezzet. Other examples: tuzlu (salty), şekerli (sugary).

How do I make it negative?

Use değil after the adjective: Çilek çok lezzetli değil. For a more formal tone: Çilek çok lezzetli değildir. To emphasize complete lack, add hiç: Çilek hiç lezzetli değil.

How do I ask a yes/no question with this?

Attach the question particle to the predicate: Çilek çok lezzetli mi? In formal style you can combine with -dir: Çilek çok lezzetli midir? Negative question: Çilek çok lezzetli değil mi? The particle follows vowel harmony: mi/mı/mu/mü; after lezzetli, use mi.

Can I add -dır as in Çilek çok lezzetlidir? What does it add?

Yes. -dır/‑dir/‑dur/‑dür is an optional copular suffix attached to the predicate. It makes the statement sound more general, objective, or formal (common in writing or when stating facts). Çilek çok lezzetlidir is fine—just more formal/authoritative than Çilek çok lezzetli.

How do I put this in the past or future?

Past: Çilek çok lezzetliydi. (predicate + idi > ydi)
Future: Çilek çok lezzetli olacak.
Habitual/typical: Çilek çok lezzetli olur.
Ongoing/experiential: Çilek çok lezzetli oluyor.

Do adjectives agree with the noun in number or gender?

No. Turkish has no grammatical gender, and adjectives do not agree for number. Lezzetli stays the same with çilek or çilekler.

Can I use a plural copula like -ler with plural subjects?

With human subjects, a plural copula on the predicate is sometimes used for emphasis (e.g., Onlar güzeller). With inanimate subjects like çilekler, Turkish typically does not add -ler to predicate adjectives. Prefer Çilekler çok lezzetli or the formal Çilekler çok lezzetlidir, not Çilekler çok lezzetliler.

What’s the normal word order here?

In nominal sentences, the predicate usually comes last: Subject (Çilek) + adverb (çok) + predicate adjective (lezzetli). If you move çok lezzetli before çilek, as in Çok lezzetli çilek, you get a noun phrase (very tasty strawberry), not a sentence.

How do I pronounce it?

Ç like ch in chair.
çilek roughly chee‑LEK (stress on the last syllable).
çok roughly chok (short o; one syllable).
lezzetli roughly lez‑zet‑Lİ (stress on the last syllable). IPA: [t͡ʃiˈlek t͡ʃok lezˈzetli].

Do I need to write the Turkish diacritics?

Yes. They change pronunciation and sometimes meaning. Çilek and çok need the cedilla under ç. Writing cilek cok would be read with a j sound for c and a plain c for ç, and is incorrect in standard writing.