Basic degree modifiers (çok, biraz)

Adding Degree to Adjectives

Just like in English, Turkish degree modifiers go directly before the adjective they modify.

Use çok to mean "very" or "a lot":

The child is very excited.
Çocuk çok heyecanlı.
This room is very clean.
Bu oda çok temiz.

Use biraz to mean "a little" or "slightly":

He is a little tired today.
O bugün biraz yorgun.
The kitchen is a little dirty.
Mutfak biraz kirli.

Softening with "Değil"

Combine çok with değil (not) to say something is "not very" hot, interesting, or expensive.

The novel is not very interesting.
Roman çok ilginç değil.
The coffee is not very hot.
Kahve çok sıcak değil.

Contrasts and Connections

You can place two descriptive sentences side-by-side to emphasize a contrast.

The soup is a little cold; it is not very hot.
Çorba biraz soğuk, çok sıcak değil.
This room is very wide. That room is a little narrow.
Bu oda çok geniş. Şu oda biraz dar.
The book is very interesting. The movie is a little boring.
Kitap çok ilginç. Film biraz sıkıcı.

To describe a subject with multiple qualities, connect your modified adjectives using ve (and).

The man is very old and a little sick.
Adam çok yaşlı ve biraz hasta.
The library is very quiet and very wide.
Kütüphane çok sessiz ve çok geniş.