Breakdown of Anne çay getiriyor mu?
çay
tea
anne
mother
getirmek
to bring
mi
question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)
Questions & Answers about Anne çay getiriyor mu?
Why is the question word mu used here instead of mı?
The question particle follows 4-way vowel harmony with the word right before it. Since the present continuous ending -iyor always ends in the vowel o, the question particle that follows it will always be mu for 'he/she/it'.
Is the question particle always written as a separate word?
Yes! Even though its vowel changes to match the verb, the question particle (mı, mi, mu, or mü) is always written with a space before it.
Why doesn't çay have any endings attached to it?
Because it is a general direct object. The mother is bringing 'tea' in general, not a specific cup of tea like 'the tea'. When a direct object is general, it stays in its plain dictionary form and sits right next to the verb.
Why does Anne translate to 'the mother' if there is no word for 'the'?
Turkish does not have a definite article (a word for 'the'). You can usually tell from the context whether it means 'a mother' or 'the mother'. If it meant 'a mother', it would normally use the word bir (one/a), like Bir anne çay getiriyor mu?.