Breakdown of Yaşlı doktor güçlü mü?
doktor
doctor
yaşlı
old (people)
güçlü
strong
mi
question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)
Questions & Answers about Yaşlı doktor güçlü mü?
Why is the question particle mü instead of mi or mı?
The question particle follows 4-way vowel harmony based on the last vowel of the word right before it. The word güçlü (strong) ends in the vowel ü, so the question particle must also use ü, making it mü.
Why does the question particle mü go at the very end of this sentence?
In simple sentences like this one that act like "to be" questions (Is he strong?), the particle comes right after the word you are asking about. Since we are asking about the adjective güçlü (strong), the particle mü follows it at the end of the sentence.
Could I use eski instead of yaşlı for "old" here?
No, because eski is only used for objects, like an old car or old clothes. For people and animals, you must use yaşlı, which literally means "with age" (from yaş, meaning "age").
How does the word güçlü translate to "strong"?
It comes from the root noun güç, which means "strength" or "power". The suffix -lü means "with" or "having" (and it also follows vowel harmony!). So, güçlü literally means "with strength", which we translate as "strong".