Sünger temiz.

The sponge is clean.

Breakdown of Sünger temiz.

• olmak: to be
• temiz: clean
• sünger: the sponge

Questions & Answers about Sünger temiz.

Where is the verb “to be”? Why isn’t there anything like “is”?

Turkish often drops a separate “to be” in present-tense third person. This is a nominal sentence: subject + predicate adjective. So Sünger temiz. literally “Sponge clean.” means “The sponge is clean.”

• 1st/2nd person show “to be” with suffixes:
  • Ben temizim. (I am clean.)
  • Sen temizsin. (You are clean.)
• 3rd person has zero ending:
  • O temiz. / Sünger temiz. (He/She/It/The sponge is clean.)
• Plural persons:
  • Biz temiziz. Siz temizsiniz. Onlar temiz.

What’s the difference between Sünger temiz and temiz sünger?

• Sünger temiz. = predicate use of the adjective: “The sponge is clean.”
• temiz sünger = attributive adjective + noun: “a clean sponge.” It’s a noun phrase, not a sentence.

Do I need words for “the” or “a”? Is there gender?

• Turkish has no gender.
• There are no articles like “the”/“a.” Definiteness comes from context.
• bir can mean “a/an” (or “one”) when introducing something: Bu bir sünger. (This is a sponge.)
• In sentences like this, you typically don’t use bir before the subject unless you specifically mean “one (single) sponge.”

How do I negate it?

Use değil after the predicate:

• Sünger temiz değil. (The sponge isn’t clean.)
• Formal/written: Sünger temiz değildir.
• Past negative: Sünger temiz değildi.

How do I ask a yes–no question?

Add the question particle after the predicate, written separately and with vowel harmony:

• Sünger temiz mi? (Is the sponge clean?) Short answers:
• Evet, temiz. (Yes, it is.)
• Hayır, temiz değil. (No, it isn’t.) Formal: Sünger temiz midir?

When should I add the -dir ending, as in Sünger temizdir?

-dir (copular suffix) is optional. It’s common in:

• Formal/written style
• Definitions/general truths
• Emphatic or confident assertions Examples:
• Sünger temizdir. (It is clean, I assert.)
• Negative: Sünger temiz değildir.
• Question: Sünger temiz midir?

How do I put it in the past, reported past, or future?

• Simple past state: Sünger temizdi. (The sponge was clean.)
• Reported/inferential: Sünger temizmiş. (Apparently/it seems the sponge was/is clean.)
• Future state: Sünger temiz olacak. (The sponge will be clean.)
• “Became clean”: Sünger temiz oldu.
• “Was cleaned” (passive): Sünger temizlendi.

How do I say it for more than one sponge?

Pluralize the noun; the adjective stays singular:

• Süngerler temiz. (The sponges are clean.) You can add -dir in formal style: Süngerler temizdir. Note: With predicative adjectives, Turkish usually doesn’t add a plural ending to the adjective (so not “temizler”) except as a short conversational answer or with human subjects in some styles.

Can I omit the subject and just say “Clean.”?

Yes. If context makes the subject clear, you can say Temiz. (Clean.) For added certainty/emphasis in writing: Temizdir.

How do I say “this/that sponge is clean”?

Use demonstratives:

• Bu sünger temiz. (this, near the speaker)
• Şu sünger temiz. (that, near the listener or mid-distance)
• O sünger temiz. (that, far from both)

How do I intensify it (very/really/spotless)?

• Sünger çok temiz. (very clean)
• Sünger gerçekten/gayet temiz. (really/quite clean)
• Sünger tertemiz. (spotless/immaculately clean)

Any pronunciation tips for the words here?

• ü is a front rounded vowel (like German ü or French u in “tu”).
• g is a hard g (never like English “j”).
• r is a tapped r.
• Default stress is on the last syllable: süngér temíz.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say the predicate first?

The neutral order is Subject + Predicate: Sünger temiz. Fronting the predicate strongly focuses it; to avoid sounding like a mere noun phrase, writers may add -dir: Temizdir sünger. This is stylistic/literary. In everyday speech, stick with the neutral order.

What’s the difference between “clean” and “to (be) clean(ed)” forms?

• temiz = clean (adjective)
• temizlemek = to clean (active)
• temizlenmek = to be cleaned (passive) Examples:
• Sünger temiz. (The sponge is clean.)
• Süngeri temizledim. (I cleaned the sponge.)
• Sünger temizleniyor. (The sponge is being cleaned.)

Why doesn’t “sünger” have an -i ending here?

No case ending is needed for a subject in such sentences (it’s in the nominative). The -i/-ı/-u/-ü (accusative) marks a definite direct object:

• Subject: Sünger temiz.
• Object: Süngeri temizledim. (I cleaned the sponge.)