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Questions & Answers about Arkadaşım bugün izinli.
What does the ending -ım in arkadaşım mean?
It’s the 1st‑person singular possessive suffix: arkadaş-ım = “my friend.” The vowel harmonizes with the last vowel of the stem. Other examples: öğretmen-im (my teacher), doktor-um (my doctor), kardeş-im (my sibling). For “a friend of mine,” say Bir arkadaşım.
Why is there no “is” in the sentence?
Turkish drops the verb “to be” in the 3rd‑person present. Adjectives/nouns can be predicates on their own: Arkadaşım … izinli. For 1st/2nd person you add a copular ending: İzinli-y-im (I am off), İzinli-sin (you are off). Third person has no suffix: (O) izinli.
What exactly does izinli mean?
It’s an adjective built from izin (permission/leave) + -li (“with; having”), so literally “with leave.” In practice it means “on leave / off duty,” i.e., officially not working/attending for a period (often a day).
Can I use izinde instead of izinli?
Yes. İzinde (izin + locative -de) also means “on leave.” Both bugün izinli and bugün izinde are common and near‑equivalent.
Could I say Arkadaşımın bugün izni var? How is it different?
Yes. That’s a “have” construction: Arkadaş-ım-ın (my friend + genitive) + izn-i (his/her leave + possession) + var (“there is”). It literally means “My friend has leave today.” Arkadaşım bugün izinli describes their status; both are natural.
How do I make it negative?
For the adjective predicate: Arkadaşım bugün izinli değil (“is not on leave”). For the “have” version: Arkadaşımın bugün izni yok (“doesn’t have leave”).
Where can I put bugün in the sentence?
You can move time adverbs around:
- Bugün arkadaşım izinli.
- Arkadaşım bugün izinli.
- Arkadaşım izinli bugün. All are correct. Fronting bugün highlights “today”; keeping it before the predicate is a neutral choice.
How do I ask “Is my friend off today?”
Use the question particle after the predicate: Arkadaşım bugün izinli mi? You can also say Bugün arkadaşım izinli mi? Short answers: Evet, izinli. / Hayır, değil.
How do I say “My friends are off today”?
Arkadaşlarım bugün izinli. Predicate adjectives don’t need plural agreement. You may hear izinliler for emphasis or when the predicate stands alone, but the default is unmarked izinli.
How do I say “A friend of mine is off today”?
Add bir: Bir arkadaşım bugün izinli. Without bir, Arkadaşım usually refers to a specific, known friend.
How do I say “was/will be off”?
- Past: Arkadaşım dün izinliydi (“was off yesterday”).
- Future: Arkadaşım yarın izinli olacak (“will be off tomorrow”).
- Reported/hearsay: Arkadaşım bugün izinliymiş (“apparently my friend is off today”).
Does the sentence show gender?
No. Turkish has no grammatical gender. With a pronoun you’d say O bugün izinli for both “he” and “she.”
How do I pronounce arkadaşım and bugün?
- arkadaşım: ar-ka-DA-şım. ş = “sh”. ı is a back, unrounded vowel (no English equivalent; keep your lips unrounded).
- bugün: bu-gün. ü is like French “u” in “tu.” The g is a hard g.
Is izinli the same as tatilde, boş, or müsait?
Not quite:
- izinli: officially on leave/off duty.
- tatilde: on vacation/holiday (often away).
- boş: free, not busy.
- müsait: available (free to meet/talk).
- For sick leave: raporlu.
Should I add benim before arkadaşım?
Not necessary. The suffix already marks possession. Benim arkadaşım adds emphasis/contrast (“my friend, not someone else’s”).
Is Arkadaşım bugün izinlidir correct?
Yes, but it sounds formal or inferential. The copular -dir/-dır/-dür/-dur can add formality or “I infer/assume” (“must be”). With a specific time like bugün, everyday speech usually drops it.
What does the suffix -li generally do?
It forms adjectives meaning “with/characterized by,” harmonizing as -lı/-li/-lu/-lü. Examples: sakallı (bearded), şehirli (urban), yağmurlu (rainy), sütlü (milky). Here: izin + li → izinli.
Can I say O arkadaşım bugün izinli?
Normally say either O bugün izinli (“He/She is off today”) or Arkadaşım bugün izinli. O arkadaşım (“that friend of mine”) is for pointing out a specific one among others.
If I want to mean “right now” rather than “today,” what should I use?
Use şu an(da) or şimdi:
- Arkadaşım şu anda izinli (on leave right now, i.e., during this period).
- For availability: Arkadaşım şu an müsait (available right now).
Is bugün one word or two?
One word: bugün (“today”). Historically from bu (“this”) + gün (“day”), but written together in modern Turkish.
Can I drop Arkadaşım and just say Bugün izinli?
Yes, if context makes the subject clear. Bugün izinli alone means “He/She/They are off today” about someone previously mentioned. To say “I’m off today,” use the suffix: Bugün izinliyim.