Questions & Answers about Biz okuldayız.
This lesson teaches nerede (where). Which part of this sentence actually answers the 'where'?
The suffix -da in okuldayız is the part that answers nerede. It is a location suffix meaning 'at', 'in', or 'on'. So okulda means 'at school'.
Why is the 'at' suffix -da instead of -de?
Turkish suffixes change to match the last vowel of the word they attach to. The last vowel in okul is 'u', which is a back vowel. To keep the sound harmonious, the suffix uses the back vowel 'a', making it -da.
Why is there a -y- in the middle of okuldayız?
The -y- is a buffer letter. The word 'at school' is okulda (which ends in a vowel), and the suffix for 'we are' is -ız (which starts with a vowel). In Turkish, two vowels usually cannot sit right next to each other, so the -y- steps in to separate them: okulda-y-ız.
What does the -ız at the very end mean?
It is the personal suffix for 'we' (biz). It acts like the verb 'are' in English. Even if you dropped the word Biz and just said Okuldayız, a Turkish speaker would still know you mean 'we' because of that -ız.
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