Learn Turkish: Biz hafta sonu golf oynayabiliriz. - We can play golf at the weekend.

The ability suffix -abil- gives it the meaning of "can". We start with the verb root oyna- (to play), add a -y- buffer, then -abil-. After that, we add the general tense (aorist) suffix -ir, and the "we" ending -iz. Together, oyna-y-abil-ir-iz builds up to "we can play."

Why is there an extra "y" in "oynayabiliriz"?

In Turkish, you usually cannot put two vowels right next to each other. Because the verb root oyna- ends in a vowel, and the ability suffix -abil- starts with a vowel, we need the buffer letter -y- to connect them smoothly.

Why doesn't "hafta sonu" have a suffix to mean "at" or "on"?

English uses prepositions like "at" or "on" for the weekend. In Turkish, the phrase hafta sonu can act directly as a time expression without needing a location suffix like -da or -de. You just say hafta sonu to mean "at the weekend."

Why is it "hafta sonu" instead of just "hafta son"?

This is a Turkish noun compound. When combining two nouns to make a new concept, like hafta (week) and son (end), the second noun takes a possessive suffix. The -u on sonu links it to the week, literally meaning "the week's end."