Breakdown of Sen kahvaltı yapmıyorsun.
sen
you
yapmak
to do / to make
kahvaltı
breakfast
kahvaltı yapmak
to have breakfast (the everyday form)
Questions & Answers about Sen kahvaltı yapmıyorsun.
Where is the negative meaning coming from in yapmıyorsun?
The negative meaning comes from the -mı- syllable. In Turkish, you build this tense by stacking pieces onto the verb: yap (the stem meaning do/make) + -mı- (the negative piece) + -yor- (the continuous tense piece) + -sun (the personal ending for you).
Why is the negative suffix -mı here instead of -ma?
The present continuous suffix -yor is special because it changes the vowel that comes right before it. Instead of using the normal negative suffix -ma, the -yor ending forces it to narrow down to -mı. This is why we say yapmıyor instead of yapmayor.
Why use yapmak (to make/do) when the English translation says "having" breakfast?
In English we say "having breakfast" or "eating breakfast", but in Turkish, the set phrase is always kahvaltı yapmak. Even though it literally translates to "making breakfast", it is the standard way to say that you are eating or having your morning meal.
Do I have to include Sen since the ending -sun already means "you"?
No, it is optional. You can just say Kahvaltı yapmıyorsun. The -sun ending on the verb makes it perfectly clear that "you" are the one the sentence is about. Including Sen at the beginning just adds a bit of emphasis to the person.
Learn Sen kahvaltı yapmıyorsun and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free