Questions & Answers about Gece lambası hâlâ açık.
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?
Turkish often leaves out the verb to be in the present tense.
So Gece lambası hâlâ açık literally looks like:
- gece lambası = night lamp / bedside lamp / nightlight
- hâlâ = still
- açık = open / on
But the full meaning is The night lamp is still on.
This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence. In the present tense, Turkish usually does not need an extra word for is / are.
Compare:
- Kapı açık. = The door is open.
- Su soğuk. = The water is cold.
- Gece lambası açık. = The night lamp is on.
If you wanted past tense, then Turkish would show it more explicitly:
- Gece lambası açıktı. = The night lamp was on.
Why is it lambası and not just lamba?