Learn Turkish: Hayır, kapı kapalı değil. - No, the door is not closed.

Hayır, kapı kapalı değil.

No, the door is not closed.

Breakdown of Hayır, kapı kapalı değil.

kapı

door

kapalı

closed / off (switched off)

değil

not

hayır

Questions & Answers about Hayır, kapı kapalı değil.

Why do we use değil here instead of adding a negative suffix like we do with verbs?

In Turkish, verbs take suffixes like -me or -ma to become negative. However, to negate a noun or an adjective like kapalı, you must use the separate word değil. It always comes immediately after the word you are negating.

Where is the word for 'is' in this sentence?

In simple sentences about a third person or object (like the door), Turkish often drops the 'is' suffix completely. The word değil acts as 'is not' all by itself here. In formal writing you might see değildir, but in everyday speech, just değil is the most natural way to say it.

Kapı (door) and kapalı (closed) look very similar. Are they related?

Yes, they are! They both come from the same root verb for closing, kapatmak. You will often see Turkish words sharing similar beginnings when their meanings are connected. Kapı is the physical door, and kapalı is the adjective meaning closed.

How do you pronounce değil with that silent ğ?

The soft g (ğ) lengthens the vowel before it and glides into the next one. It never makes a hard g sound. Most native speakers say değil very quickly in conversation, making it sound almost like the English word 'day' but ending with an L sound.