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Questions & Answers about Ablam kitap okuyor.
Where is the word for "my" in this sentence?
In Turkish, "my" is attached to the noun as a suffix. The word for older sister is abla. Because it ends in a vowel, we just add -m to make ablam (my older sister). This is usually enough on its own, so we don't need to add the separate word benim (my).
The translation says "a book", but I don't see the word bir (a/one). Is it missing?
It is not missing! When talking about a general, non-specific activity like "reading a book" or "drinking tea", Turkish often leaves out the word bir. Saying kitap okuyor is the most natural way to express this.
How is the verb okuyor formed?
The verb root for "to read" is oku-. To show an action happening right now (like the English "-ing"), we use the present continuous suffix -yor. Because the root oku- already ends in the vowel u, we can just attach -yor directly to make okuyor (is reading).
Why does kitap come before the verb?
Turkish typically uses a Subject-Object-Verb word order. First we state who is doing the action (ablam), then the object she is interacting with (kitap), and we put the action word (okuyor) at the very end of the sentence.