Süslü elbise sana yakışıyor.

The fancy dress suits you.

Breakdown of Süslü elbise sana yakışıyor.

• sen: you
• elbise: the dress
• yakışmak: to suit
• süslü: fancy

Questions & Answers about Süslü elbise sana yakışıyor.

What does the case form sana mean here, and why not seni?

• sana is the dative case of sen and means “to you.”
• The verb yakışmak “to suit/become (someone)” takes the dative case for the person it suits: X sana yakışıyor = “X suits you.”
• seni is accusative (“you” as a direct object) and is wrong with yakışmak.
• Compare:
  • Seni görüyorum. “I see you.” (accusative: direct object)
  • Bu elbise sana yakışıyor. “This dress suits you.” (dative: the one something suits)

Who is the subject of the sentence?

• The subject is süslü elbise (“the fancy dress”).
• Turkish frames this as “The fancy dress suits you,” so the verb is third person singular, matching the dress, not “you.”

Why is it yakışıyor and not yakışıyorsun?

• yakışıyor is 3rd person singular, agreeing with the subject süslü elbise.
• yakışıyorsun would make “you” the subject: “You are suiting (someone),” which doesn’t fit the clothing meaning here.
• You can say Ben sana yakışıyorum (“I’m a good match for you”) in a romantic or humorous sense, but not for clothes.

What tense/aspect is yakışıyor, and how is it formed?

• It’s present continuous/progressive.
• Formation: yakış- (root “to suit”) + -ıyor (progressive, with vowel harmony) → yakışıyor.
• Person/number: 3rd singular is zero-marked here (no extra ending).
• Stress typically falls on the last syllable: ya-kı-şı-yor.

Can I change the word order? For example, Sana süslü elbise yakışıyor?

• Yes. Turkish word order is flexible for emphasis. Common options:
  • Süslü elbise sana yakışıyor. (neutral)
  • Sana süslü elbise yakışıyor. (slight emphasis on “to you”)
  • Sana yakışıyor süslü elbise. (marked, end-focus on “fancy dress”)
• The finite verb normally comes last.

Do I need the article bir? What’s the difference with Bir süslü elbise sana yakışıyor?

• bir is the indefinite article “a/an,” but it also literally means “one.”
• Without bir, süslü elbise can still be indefinite in context.
• With bir, you highlight “a single fancy dress” (new mention) more clearly.
• To refer to a specific dress, use a demonstrative: Bu/Şu/O süslü elbise sana yakışıyor.

If I mean “Fancy dresses suit you (in general),” should I use the plural?

• Yes, the natural general statement is: Süslü elbiseler sana yakışır.
  
  • Plural noun (elbiseler) + aorist (yakışır) for habitual/general truths.
• You’ll also hear: Süslü elbiseler sana yakışıyor (present progressive with a plural subject); it’s fine in everyday speech.

What’s the nuance of yakışıyor vs yakışır?

• yakışıyor (progressive): “is suiting you (now/around now).”
• yakışır (aorist): general/habitual or suggestive: “(Fancy dresses) suit you,” “(That) would suit you.”
  
  • Advice tone: Süslü bir elbise sana yakışır. “A fancy dress would suit you.”

Is süslü positive, neutral, or negative? Any synonyms?

• süslü = “fancy/ornate/embellished.” It can be neutral or slightly pejorative depending on tone/context.
• Common near-synonyms:
  • gösterişli “showy, flashy”
  • şatafatlı “ostentatious” (more negative)
  • abartılı “excessive, over-the-top” (clearly negative)
  • zarif “elegant” (positive, not the same as “süslü”)

How do I pronounce the tricky vowels and consonants here?

• ü as in French “tu” [y].
• ı is the undotted i [ɯ], a back, unrounded vowel (similar to the ‘e’ in “taken” but further back).
• ş is “sh” [ʃ].
• Rough guide:
  • Süslü: syews-LEW (both u’s like French ü; final stress)
  • elbise: el-bi-SEH (final stress)
  • sana: sa-NA
  • yakışıyor: ya-kɯ-ʃɯ-YOR (final stress)

How do I make a yes/no question or negate it?

• Yes/no: add the question particle after the predicate (with vowel harmony):
  • Süslü elbise sana yakışıyor mu? “Does a fancy dress suit you?”
• Negation: yakışmıyor (insert -ma/-me before -yor):
  • Süslü elbise sana yakışmıyor. “A fancy dress doesn’t suit you.”

How do I refer to past, future, or reported past?

• Past (definite): yakıştı — “(It) suited (you).”
• Reported past/evidential: yakışmış — “Apparently/it seems (it) suited (you).”
• Future: yakışacak — “(It) will suit (you).”
• Habitual/general: yakışır — “(It) suits/would suit (you).”

What’s the difference between sana yakışıyor and phrases like sende iyi duruyor or sana uyuyor?

• yakışmak: “to suit/become (someone)” (overall look).
• iyi durmak with locative: Sende iyi duruyor = “It looks good on you” (visual appearance on your person).
• uymak (dative): Sana uyuyor = “It matches/suits you/your style/size/preferences.”
• All are common; yakışmak is the default for compliments on clothing.

How would I say it more politely/formally?

• Use the polite/plural “you”: Süslü elbise size yakışıyor.
• Dative forms:
  • Singular: bana, sana, ona
  • Plural/polite: bize, size, onlara

Where is “to be” in this sentence? Why isn’t there a separate “is”?

• Turkish doesn’t need a separate “to be” here because yakışmak is the main verb conveying “to suit.”
• When there’s no lexical verb, Turkish uses copular endings (e.g., Ben öğrenciyim “I am a student”), but in this sentence the full verb yakışıyor already does the job.

Can I intensify the compliment?

• Yes, add adverbs like çok, gerçekten, harika:
  • Süslü elbise sana çok yakışıyor. “A fancy dress really suits you.”
  • Bu süslü elbise sana harika yakışıyor. “This fancy dress looks fantastic on you.”