Learn Turkish: Okulda koşma. - Do not run in the school.

We take the verb root koş (run) and add the negative suffix -ma. In Turkish, telling one person not to do something is as simple as adding -ma or -me to the verb root. We use -ma here because the hard vowel "o" in koş dictates a-type vowel harmony.

Why is it okulda and not just okul?

The suffix -da means "in", "at", or "on" (the locative case). Since the command is about not running inside or at the school, we must attach -da to okul (school) to get okulda.

Why does the verb come last in this command?

In Turkish, the verb typically goes at the very end of the sentence. This fundamental rule still applies to commands, so the location (okulda) comes before the action word (koşma).

Does the word koşma have a specific syllable stress?

Yes. In Turkish negative commands, the stress is placed on the syllable right before the negative suffix. You should pronounce it as KOŞ-ma, emphasizing the verb root instead of the ending.

What if I want to tell multiple students not to run?