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Questions & Answers about Küçük kız salıncakta gülüyor.
Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in Küçük kız?
Turkish has no articles. Küçük kız can mean either “the little girl” or “a little girl,” depending on context. If you want to make “a” explicit, add bir: Küçük bir kız = “a little girl.”
Where does bir go with an adjective?
When bir means “a,” it typically comes after the adjective and before the noun: küçük bir kız. If bir means “one,” it can come before the adjective: bir küçük kız = “one small girl.”
Why is the verb at the end?
Turkish prefers Subject–Object–Verb order. Here, the subject (Küçük kız) and a place phrase (salıncakta) come before the verb (gülüyor). Word order is flexible for emphasis, but the verb usually comes last.
What does the suffix -ta in salıncakta mean?
It’s the locative case: “in/at/on.” Salıncak = “swing,” salıncakta = “on the swing.”
Why is it -ta and not -da?
Consonant assimilation: after a voiceless consonant (f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p), the d in case endings becomes t. Salıncak ends with voiceless -k, so you get -ta, not -da.
Why is it -ta (with a) and not -te (with e)?
Vowel harmony: the last vowel in salıncak is back (a), so the locative vowel matches it: -ta. With a front vowel word like ev (house), you’d say evde.
How is gülüyor formed?
Root: gül- (“to laugh/smile”) + present continuous suffix -(I)yor. The high vowel (I) follows harmony based on the last vowel of the stem (here, ü), so you get gül + üyor → gülüyor.
Where is the English “is” in “is laughing”?
Turkish doesn’t use a separate “to be” here. The tense/aspect is baked into the suffix -(I)yor: gülüyor = “is laughing.”
Does gülmek mean “to laugh” or “to smile”?
Both, depending on context. For specifically “to smile,” Turks often use gülümsemek. So “She is smiling” is Gülümsüyor.
How do I say “on top of the swing” explicitly?
Use a possessive + postposition: Salıncağın üzerinde or salıncağın üstünde = “on (top of) the swing.” It’s more literal than the broad locative -ta.
How do I say “to the swing” and “from the swing”?
- “to the swing” (dative): salıncağa (note k → ğ before a vowel-initial suffix)
- “from the swing” (ablative): salıncaktan (again, voiceless consonant makes it -tan).
Why does k become ğ in salıncağa but stay k in salıncakta?
Final k often softens to ğ before a vowel-initial suffix (e.g., -a, -e, -ı, -i), so salıncak + a → salıncağa. Before a consonant-initial suffix like -ta, it stays k: salıncakta.
Can I make the subject plural?
Yes: Küçük kızlar salıncakta gülüyor(lar). With an overt plural subject, the verb’s plural ending -lar is optional in speech: both gülüyor and gülüyorlar are acceptable.
How do I negate it?
Insert the negative -ma/-me before -(I)yor; it fuses as -mıyor/-miyor/-muyor/-müyor:
- Küçük kız salıncakta gülmüyor. = “The little girl is not laughing.”
How do I make a yes/no question?
Add the question particle (separate word) mi/ mı/ mu/ mü:
- Küçük kız salıncakta gülüyor mu? = “Is the little girl laughing on the swing?”
Can I say “The little girl on the swing is laughing”?
Yes, use -ki to turn the locative into an adjective: Salıncaktaki küçük kız gülüyor. = “The little girl (who is) on the swing is laughing.”
Do I need the pronoun o (“she”)?
No. The verb already shows person/number. O can be added for emphasis or clarity, but Küçük kız … gülüyor is complete.
Is kız “girl” or “daughter”?
Kız can mean “girl” or “daughter” depending on context. Kızı with a 3rd-person possessive means “his/her daughter” (e.g., Küçük kızı salıncakta gülüyor = “His/Her little daughter is laughing on the swing”).
What’s the difference between gülüyor and güler?
- gülüyor = present continuous (“is laughing” / “these days laughs”).
- güler = aorist/habitual (“laughs,” “tends to laugh,” general truth).
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- ü is a front rounded vowel (like French “u” or German “ü”).
- ı (not in this sentence) is a back, unrounded i (no English equivalent).
- c = “j” in “jam”; ç = “ch” in “chop.”
- In gülüyor, the stress is on the syllable before -yor: gü-LÜ-yor. In salıncakta, stress typically falls on the last syllable: salıncak-TA.