Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı.

Breakdown of Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı.

olmak
to be
bu
this
şarkı
the song
akılda kalıcı
memorable
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Questions & Answers about Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı.

What does the phrase akılda kalıcı literally mean, and how is it built?

It literally means “staying in the mind.” Breakdown:

  • akıl = mind
  • -da = locative case “in/at,” so akılda = “in the mind”
  • kal- = to remain, stay
  • -ıcı = a derivational suffix making an adjective “that tends to/causes staying,” so kalıcı = “lasting” Together, akılda kalıcı = “lasting in the mind,” i.e., “catchy/memorable.”
Where is the word “is”? Why isn’t there a verb?

Turkish doesn’t require a separate verb for “to be” in simple present nominal sentences. An adjective or noun at the end acts as the predicate:

  • Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı. = “This song is catchy.” You can optionally add the copular ending -dır for formality or emphasis: Bu şarkı akılda kalıcıdır.
Why is it akılda, not akıl or akılde?
  • -DA is the locative case meaning “in/at/on.” You need it to say “in the mind”: akıl + da → akılda.
  • Vowel harmony picks -da (not -de) because the last vowel in akıl is the back vowel ı.
  • Consonant harmony keeps d (not t) because l before the suffix is voiced. Hence akılda, not akılde/akılta.
What part of speech is kalıcı, and can kalıcı stand alone?
Kalıcı is a deverbal adjective from kalmak (“to remain”). By itself, kalıcı means “permanent/lasting” (e.g., kalıcı makyaj = permanent makeup, kalıcı hasar = permanent damage). Saying only Bu şarkı kalıcı would suggest the song is “permanent/lasting,” which is odd in this context. Akılda narrows it to “lasting in the mind,” i.e., “catchy.”
Is akılda kalıcı an idiom or just grammar?

It’s a common collocation built from regular grammar:

  • The idiomatic verb phrase is akılda kalmak = “to stick/remain in the mind.”
  • Turning kalmak into the adjective kalıcı gives akılda kalıcı = “memorable/catchy.”
What’s the difference between akılda kalan and akılda kalıcı?
  • akılda kalan = “that which remained in the mind” (participle), often about a specific instance or result after exposure. Example: Dün dinlediğimiz şarkı akılda kalan bir parçaydı.
  • akılda kalıcı = “inherently memorable/catchy” as a general quality. Example: Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı.
How do I make it negative?

Use değil to negate nominal predicates:

  • Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı değil. = “This song isn’t catchy.” More formal/emphatic: Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı değildir.
How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Attach the question particle to the predicate with vowel harmony:

  • Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı mı? = “Is this song catchy?” You can add a stance marker: Sence bu şarkı akılda kalıcı mı? = “Do you think this song is catchy?”
Can I use it before a noun (as an adjective phrase)?

Yes:

  • akılda kalıcı bir şarkı = “a catchy song” With a demonstrative: Bu akılda kalıcı bir şarkı. Keep the simple predication for the original: Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı.
How formal is akılda kalıcıdır? When would I add -dır?
-dır/-dir/-dur/-dür adds formality, general truth, or emphasis. In everyday speech, Bu şarkı akılda kalıcı is more natural; …kalıcıdır sounds more formal, written, or emphatic.
How do you pronounce the tricky letters here?
  • ş = “sh” (as in “shoe”): şarkı ≈ “shar-kuh”
  • ı (dotless i) = a close, unstressed “uh” sound: şarkı, akılda, kalıcı
  • c = “j” (as in “jam”): kalıcı ≈ “kah-luh-JUH” A close approximation: “Boo SHAR-kuh ah-kul-DAH kah-luh-JUH.”
Why kalıcı with c (not çı), and how does suffix harmony work here?

The suffix is -(I)C(I). Harmony choices:

  • Vowel harmony picks ı here (back unrounded), giving -ıcı.
  • Consonant voicing: after a voiced consonant like l, the suffix uses c; after a voiceless consonant you’d see ç (e.g., balıkçı “fishmonger”). Hence kal + ıcı → kalıcı.
Are there other natural ways to say “catchy/memorable” for a song?

Common options:

  • unutulmaz = unforgettable
  • akılda kalır türden (bir şarkı) = the kind that sticks in your mind
  • diline dolanan = the kind you keep humming
  • Also the verb phrase akılda kalmak: Bu şarkı akılda kalıyor (It keeps sticking in your mind, right now).