Questions & Answers about Şimdi çok geç, çalışma.
How is the negative command çalışma formed?
You take the dictionary form of the verb, çalışmak (to work/study), and drop the -mak to get the stem çalış-. Then, you add the negative suffix -ma or -me. Because the last vowel in çalış- is ı, vowel harmony tells us to use -ma, giving us çalışma (do not work).
Could this sentence also mean "do not study"?
Yes! The verb çalışmak translates to both "to work" (at a job) and "to study" (doing schoolwork). Based on the situation, this sentence could easily mean "It is very late now, do not study."
Where is the word for "it" in "It is very late"?
Turkish does not use dummy subjects for time, weather, or situations like English does. While English requires you to say "It is late," Turkish simply says çok geç (very late).
Why isn't there a word for "is" in the Turkish sentence?
In the simple present tense, the third-person "to be" verb (like "is" or "are") is usually left blank in Turkish. Şimdi çok geç literally translates as "Now very late," and the "is" is simply understood.