Learn Hardcore Turkish: Limonlu kek çok lezzetli. - The lemon cake is very delicious.

Turkish often drops the copula in the simple present for third person. In Limonlu kek çok lezzetli, the meaning is “(The) lemon cake is very tasty,” but there’s no separate word for is. You can optionally add the formal/generalizing copula -dır/-dir/-dur/-dür: Limonlu kek çok lezzetlidir.

What does the ending -lu in limonlu mean?

The suffix -li/-lı/-lu/-lü means “with/containing/having.” It follows vowel harmony:

Last vowel a/ı → -lı (ör. sütlü: with milk uses -lü because last vowel is ü; example just to show harmony)
Last vowel e/i → -li
Last vowel o/u → -lu
Last vowel ö/ü → -lü

Since limon ends with o, it becomes limonlu = “lemon-flavored/with lemon.”

Is limonlu an adjective?

Yes. Limonlu is an adjective derived from the noun limon with the suffix -lu, meaning “lemony/lemon-flavored.” It can modify a noun (limonlu kek) or serve as a predicate (Kek limonlu = “The cake is lemon-flavored.”).

What’s the difference between limonlu kek and kek limonlu?

limonlu kek: a noun phrase, “lemon cake” (adjective + noun).
kek limonlu: a full sentence, “The cake is lemon-flavored” (noun + predicate adjective, with the copula understood).

What does çok do here, and where does it go?

Çok means “very” when it modifies an adjective/adverb and it comes before it: çok lezzetli = “very tasty.” When it modifies a noun, it means “many/much” (e.g., çok kek = “a lot of cake/cakes”).

Do I need “the” or “a” in Turkish?

Turkish has no articles like “the” or “a.” Limonlu kek can mean “lemon cake,” “a lemon cake,” or “the lemon cake,” depending on context. If you want to make “a” explicit, you can add bir: Bir limonlu kek çok lezzetli (“A lemon cake is very tasty”). For specificity, use demonstratives: Bu limonlu kek (“this lemon cake”).

Is Limonlu bir kek çok lezzetli natural?

Yes, it’s grammatical and means “A lemon cake is very tasty.” As a general statement about the category, Turkish more often uses the bare singular (Limonlu kek …) or adds -dir for a gnomic tone: Limonlu kek çok lezzetlidir.

How do I say “This lemon cake is very tasty”?

Bu limonlu kek çok lezzetli.

How do I talk about lemon cakes in general or in plural?

Generic (category-level): Limonlu kek çok lezzetli (dir).
Explicit plural: Limonlu kekler çok lezzetli (“Lemon cakes are very tasty”). Both are fine; the bare singular is very common for generic statements.

Why are there no case endings in this sentence?

Because nothing is acting as a direct object, and there’s no need for other cases. Limonlu kek is the subject in the nominative, and çok lezzetli is a predicate adjective.

How do I make it negative: “not very tasty”?

Use değil after the adjective: Limonlu kek çok lezzetli değil. For milder negation, you can say pek lezzetli değil; for stronger, hiç lezzetli değil.

How do I make a yes/no question: “Is the lemon cake very tasty?”

Add the question particle mi/mı/mü/mu (it obeys vowel harmony) after the predicate: Limonlu kek çok lezzetli mi? A tag-like “isn’t it?” is … değil mi?

What’s the role of -dır/-dir/-dur/-dür here?

It’s an optional copular suffix that adds formality, generality, or emphasis: Limonlu kek çok lezzetlidir. In everyday speech, it’s usually omitted: … çok lezzetli.

Do adjectives agree with nouns in number or gender?

No. Turkish has no grammatical gender, and adjectives don’t change for number. limonlu is the same in limonlu kek and limonlu kekler.

Are limonlu and lezzetli using the same suffix?

Yes, both use the -li family:

limon + lu → limonlu (“with lemon”).
lezzet + li → lezzetli (“with taste” → “tasty/delicious”). The exact vowel of the suffix depends on the word’s last vowel (vowel harmony).

Can I front the adjectives like Çok lezzetli limonlu kek?

That becomes a noun phrase (“a very tasty lemon cake”), not a full sentence. To make a sentence, keep the structure: Limonlu kek çok lezzetli.

How do I say “There is a very tasty lemon cake”?

Use var for existence and put the adjective(s) before the noun: Çok lezzetli bir limonlu kek var.

What are common alternatives to lezzetli?

güzel (very common in everyday speech for taste: Limonlu kek çok güzel)
leziz (a bit more formal/literary)
harika, mükemmel (excellent) Opposite: lezzetsiz (“tasteless,” from lezzet + siz = “without taste”).