Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bugün plan zor, ama ben iyimserim. - Today the plan is difficult, but I am optimistic.

Turkish often drops an overt “to be” in present‑time nominal sentences. With a 3rd‑person subject, the copula is zero, so plan zor literally means “plan difficult” = “the plan is difficult.” No extra verb is needed.

Why does iyimser take -im but zor doesn’t?

Because the subject changes. With 1st‑person singular, Turkish adds a copular personal ending to the predicate: iyimser-im “I am optimistic.” With 3rd‑person singular (the plan), the present copula is zero: plan zor “the plan is difficult.”

Quick reference (present nominal copula):

1sg: -(y)im → iyimserim
2sg: -sin → iyimser(sin)
3sg: zero → plan zor
1pl: -(y)iz → iyimseriz
2pl: -siniz → iyimsersiniz
3pl: zero (often -ler on the subject) → planlar zor, öğrenciler yorgun

Why isn’t there a buffer -y- in iyimserim like in iyiyim?

The buffer -y- appears when the predicate ends in a vowel (e.g., iyi → iyi + (y)im = iyiyim). İyimser ends in a consonant, so you attach -im directly: iyimserim.

Can I drop ben? And where does it go with ama?

Yes, you can drop it: … ama iyimserim is fully natural. Keeping ben adds contrast/emphasis (“…but I am optimistic”). Position is as in the original: …, ama ben iyimserim. You can also start a new sentence: Bugün plan zor. Ama iyimserim.

Is the comma before ama necessary?

Optional. Many writers omit it in short clauses: Bugün plan zor ama ben iyimserim. The comma just signals a pause. In formal writing, some prefer Ancak instead of Ama: Bugün plan zor; ancak ben iyimserim.

Is Bugün plan zor natural, or should it be Bugünkü plan zor?

Both work. Bugünkü plan zor is slightly crisper/clearer (“today’s plan is difficult”), using -ki to form an adjectival bugünkü. Bugün plan zor is more conversational, with bugün as a topic (“As for today, the plan is difficult.”).

What’s the difference between Bugün plan zor and Plan bugün zor?

Information structure. Initial position is the topic/focus:

Bugün plan zor: “Today, the plan is difficult” (contrast today with other days).
Plan bugün zor: “The plan is difficult today” (contrast today for this particular plan). Meaning overlap is big; both are fine.

Do I need an article like “the” before plan?

Turkish has no articles. Definiteness comes from context. Plan here is understood as “the plan (we have in mind).” If you need to mark possession, add a possessive: planım (my), planımız (our).

Should I mark possession if I mean “our plan”?

Yes. Examples:

Bugünkü planımız zor, ama ben iyimserim. (our plan)
Plan zor is neutral/unspecified and relies on context.

Should I ever say Plan zordur? What does -dir add?

-dir adds formality, generalization, or a tone of deduction/assumption. Plan zordur sounds more formal or like a reasoned statement. In everyday speech, plan zor is more common.

How do I put this in the past or future?

Past: Dün plan zordu, ama ben iyimserdim.
Future: Bugün plan zor olacak, ama ben iyimserim/iyimser olacağım. For nominal predicates, you use past -di on the adjective/noun, or use olmak for future.

How do I negate iyimserim or plan zor?

Use değil for nominal negation:

Ben iyimser değilim.
Plan zor değil.

Are there synonyms for ama? Any nuance?

fakat: a bit more formal.
ancak: formal “however”; can also mean “only.”
lakin: quite formal/literary. All can replace ama here with similar meaning.

Is zor only “difficult”? Can it mean “barely”?

Both, by function:

Adjective: plan zor = difficult.
Adverb: Zor yetiştim = I barely made it. Context tells which is intended.

What’s the difference among zor, zorlu, and zorlayıcı?

zor: basic “difficult.” Works well as a predicate: Plan zor.
zorlu: “arduous,” often attributive: zorlu bir gün. As a predicate it sounds more evaluative: Plan zorlu (less common).
zorlayıcı: “challenging/forcing,” highlights that it pushes you: Plan zorlayıcı.

Why is it iyimser-im (not iyimser-ım)?

Vowel harmony. The 1sg copula alternates: -(y)ım/-(y)im/-(y)um/-(y)üm. The last vowel of iyimser is e (front, unrounded), so choose -im → iyimserim.

How do I pronounce Bugün and iyimserim?

Bugün: roughly “boo-GÜN” (stress at the end).
iyimserim: “ee-yeem-SE-rim” (main stress on “-ser-”; the final -im is light). Turkish generally favors final stress, but clitic-like copular endings are often unstressed.

Any spelling gotchas?

Bugün is one word (not “bu gün”).
Mind dotted/undotted i: ben, iyimserim use dotted i. Writing ıyımserım would be wrong.
Don’t add -ı to mark definiteness on the subject: Plan zor (not Planı zor, which reads “his/her plan is difficult”).

Could I just split it into two sentences?

Yes: Bugün plan zor. Ama (ben) iyimserim. This is very natural in speech and informal writing.

Isn’t ben iyimserim redundant, since both ben and -im mean “I”?

Grammatically you only need one; pragmatically they do different jobs. The ending -im marks person. Adding ben provides contrast/emphasis (especially after ama): “…but I am optimistic.”