Questions & Answers about O on iki adam kim?
How do you form numbers between 11 and 19 like on iki?
It is very straightforward! You just say the tens and then the ones. Since on means "ten" and iki means "two", on iki is "twelve". You don't have to memorize special words for teens like we do in English.
Since there are twelve of them, why is it adam (man) instead of adamlar (men)?
This is a very important Turkish rule: when you use a specific number before a noun, the noun must stay in its singular form. Because on iki already tells us there is more than one, adding the plural suffix -lar to adam is not allowed.
Why is the word o used instead of onlar to mean "those"?
o usually means "he", "she", "it", or "that". When you put it right before a noun to point something out, it works as an adjective. In Turkish, adjectives never become plural. So, to say "those twelve men", you just use o on iki adam.
Where is the word for "are" in this sentence?
In Turkish, "to be" (am/is/are) isn't a separate word; it is usually added as a suffix to the last word in the sentence. However, for "is" and "are", this suffix is very often left out completely in everyday language. Simply asking ... kim? is perfectly fine for "... who are?".
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