Learn Turkish: Soğuk su içmek güzel. - Drinking cold water is nice.

The suffix -mek turns the verb into a noun. It is the Turkish infinitive form, just like "to drink" in English. In English, we can say "To drink cold water is nice" or "Drinking cold water is nice." Both are correct translations, but "drinking" often sounds more natural as a subject in English.

Verbs usually go at the end of a Turkish sentence. Why is içmek in the middle?

You are right that the main conjugated verb usually goes at the end! However, içmek is not the main verb here. Because it has the -mek suffix, it acts as a noun. The entire phrase soğuk su içmek (drinking cold water) is the subject of the sentence. The descriptive word at the end, güzel, acts as the predicate.

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

In Turkish, basic statements in the present tense often do not need an explicit word for "is." Placing the adjective güzel (nice) right after the subject automatically gives you the meaning "is nice."

Doesn't güzel usually mean "beautiful"?

Yes, güzel literally means "beautiful," but it is used much more broadly in Turkish than in English. When talking about food, drinks, experiences, or general feelings, it usually translates to "nice," "good," or "pleasant."