Limonlu çay güzel.

Lemon tea is nice.

Breakdown of Limonlu çay güzel.

• olmak: to be
• güzel: nice
• çay: the tea
• limonlu: lemony

Questions & Answers about Limonlu çay güzel.

Where is the verb “to be”? Why is there no “is” in the sentence?

Turkish doesn’t use a separate verb for is/are in the simple present with third person. A noun or adjective at the end acts as the predicate:

• Limonlu çay güzel. = “Lemon tea is nice.” There’s a zero copula (an implied “is”) in sentences like this.

Why is there no “the” or “a”?

Turkish has no articles like “the.” The word bir can mean “a/one,” but it’s optional and used only when needed:

• Generic or context-specific: Limonlu çay güzel.
• Specifically “this”: Bu limonlu çay güzel.
• Explicit “a”: Güzel bir limonlu çay istiyorum. (“I want a nice lemon tea.”)

What does limonlu mean and how is it formed?

Limonlu = “with lemon” or “lemony.” It’s limon + the suffix -lI (which harmonizes as -lı/-li/-lu/-lü) meaning “with, having.”

• şekerli (with sugar), sütlü (with milk), peynirli (with cheese) The opposite is -sIz: limonsuz (without lemon), şekersiz (without sugar).

Why is it -lu and not -lı/-li/-lü?

Vowel harmony. The suffix matches the last vowel of the stem. The last vowel in limon is o (a back, rounded vowel), so we use -lu: limonlu.

Could I say Güzel limonlu çay instead? Does it mean the same thing?

No. Güzel limonlu çay is a noun phrase (“nice lemon tea”). The sentence Limonlu çay güzel is a full clause (“Lemon tea is nice.”). In predicative sentences, the predicate typically comes last.

Should it be güzel or güzeldir?

Both are correct:

• güzel is neutral, conversational.
• güzeldir (-dir is the copular suffix) sounds more formal, general, or assertive (often for general truths): Limonlu çay güzeldir.

Does güzel really mean “tasty”? Should I use lezzetli or iyi?

• güzel is broadly “nice/pleasant/beautiful” and is commonly used for food/drink to mean “good/tasty.”
• lezzetli specifically means “tasty/delicious.”
• iyi means “good” in a general sense. So all can work, with slight nuance.

How do I ask “Is lemon tea nice?”

Use the question particle mi (which follows vowel harmony) after the predicate:

• Limonlu çay güzel mi? More formal: Limonlu çay güzel midir?

How do I say “Lemon tea is not nice”?

Use değil to negate adjectives/nouns:

• Limonlu çay güzel değil. Formal/emphatic: Limonlu çay güzel değildir.

How do I say it was/ will be nice?

• Past: Limonlu çay güzeldi. (“was nice”)
• Past negative: Limonlu çay güzel değildi.
• Future: Limonlu çay güzel olacak.
• Reported/it seems: Limonlu çay güzelmiş.

How do I specify “this/that lemon tea is nice”?

Use demonstratives:

• Bu limonlu çay güzel. (this)
• Şu limonlu çay güzel. (that, near listener)
• O limonlu çay güzel. (that, far)

Should I make çay plural for general statements?

No. Generic statements usually use the singular:

• Limonlu çay güzel. (preferred) Plural can sound like you mean multiple types/instances: Limonlu çaylar güzeldir. (acceptable in some contexts, but less neutral/generic)

Why don’t we add -ı (accusative) as in limonlu çayı?

Because here limonlu çay is the subject. Accusative -ı/‑i/‑u/‑ü marks a specific direct object:

• Subject: Limonlu çay güzel.
• Object: Limonlu çayı seviyorum. (“I like the lemon tea [specific].”)

How do I pronounce the words?

• ç = “ch” in “church”: çay sounds like “chai” (eye sound).
• ay = “eye.”
• ü (in güzel) is a front rounded vowel (like French “u” in “lune” or German “ü”).
• Stress typically falls near the end; here you’ll hear gü-ZEL clearly.

Do adjectives change for gender or number?

No. Turkish has no grammatical gender, and adjectives don’t agree in number. güzel stays the same:

• güzel çay, güzel çaylar (“nice tea/teas”)

How do I say “very/really nice”?

Put intensifiers before the adjective:

• Limonlu çay çok/gayet/pek/oldukça güzel. Note: çok güzel = “very nice.” But çok limonlu çay means “very lemony tea” (intensifies limonlu, not güzel).