Breakdown of Öğrenci bilgisayar kullanıyor mu?
öğrenci
student
bilgisayar
computer
kullanmak
to use
mi
question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)
Questions & Answers about Öğrenci bilgisayar kullanıyor mu?
Why is the question word mu instead of mı or mü, and why is it a separate word?
The question particle always follows 4-way vowel harmony based on the word right before it. The last vowel in kullanıyor is o, which dictates the use of u, making the particle mu. Even though it follows vowel harmony rules like a suffix, the question particle is always written with a space before it!
How would I ask 'Am I using a computer?' instead?
To ask about yourself, you attach the personal ending to the question particle, not the verb! The question particle mu becomes muyum (adding a buffer y and the 'I' ending um). So, 'Am I using a computer?' would be Bilgisayar kullanıyor muyum?
The English translation says 'a computer', but there is no word for 'a' (bir) in the Turkish sentence. Why?
In Turkish, when referring to a general, non-specific object, you often leave out bir (a/an) and simply place the noun right before the verb. Bilgisayar here acts as a general category, almost like asking 'Is the student doing computer-using?'
Why does the verb use the suffix -ıyor instead of -iyor?