Breakdown of Biz üç doktoruz, siz iki mühendissiniz.
doktor
doctor
mühendis
engineer
biz
we
siz
you (plural/formal)
iki
two
üç
three
Questions & Answers about Biz üç doktoruz, siz iki mühendissiniz.
Why is doktor singular when the sentence says "three doctors"?
In English, we add an 's' to make a noun plural after a number. But in Turkish, whenever you use a number (like üç or iki) before a noun, the noun must stay strictly singular. You should never say üç doktorlar or iki mühendisler.
What do the endings on doktoruz and mühendissiniz mean?
Turkish doesn't have separate words for "am", "is", or "are". Instead, it attaches a personal suffix to the end of the noun. The -uz on doktoruz means "we are", matching the pronoun biz. The -siniz on mühendissiniz means "you are", matching the plural pronoun siz.
Why do the personal endings use different vowels (-uz vs -siniz)?
This is 4-way vowel harmony in action. The suffix changes its vowel to match the last vowel of the root word. Since doktor has an 'o', its suffix gets a 'u' (-uz). Because mühendis has an 'i', its suffix gets an 'i' (-siniz).
Do I have to include the pronouns biz and siz at the start?
No, they are completely optional! Because the suffixes -uz and -siniz already tell the listener who you are talking about, you could just say üç doktoruz, iki mühendissiniz. Using the pronouns biz and siz here just adds a little extra contrast, like saying "As for us, we are... and as for you, you are..."
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