To turn a simple statement into a yes/no question in Turkish, use the question particle.
The Question Particle
The question particle is written as a separate word at the end of the sentence, but it uses four-way vowel harmony: it must harmonize with the last vowel of the word right before it. Look at the last vowel of the preceding word to choose the right form:
- a or ı → mı
- e or i → mi
- o or u → mu
- ö or ü → mü
| Is this easy? | Bu kolay mı? |
| Is the young student rich? | Genç öğrenci zengin mi? |
| Is the book difficult? | Kitap zor mu? |
| Is the old doctor strong? | Yaşlı doktor güçlü mü? |
Adding Personal Suffixes
When asking questions like "Are you...?" or "Are we...?", the personal "to be" suffix attaches directly to the question particle, never to the adjective or noun.
The personal suffix changes its vowel to match the question particle. If a personal suffix starting with a vowel attaches to the particle (like the "we" suffix), insert the buffer letter y to keep the two vowels from bumping into each other.
| Are you ready? | Sen hazır mısın? |
| Are you tall? | Sen uzun musun? |
| Are we strong? | Biz güçlü müyüz? |
Plural Subjects
When asking a question about a plural subject, the plural suffix (-lar or -ler) attaches to the noun. The question particle at the end of the sentence harmonizes with the adjective right before it.
| Are the cars expensive? | Arabalar pahalı mı? |
| Are the children tired? | Çocuklar yorgun mu? |
Just like in statements, when the subject is onlar (they), adding the plural suffix to the adjective is optional.
| Are they rich? | Onlar zengin mi? |