Questions & Answers about En yaşlı kişi kim?
How does "en" work to make the word "oldest"?
In English, we add "-est" to the end of short words (old -> oldest). In Turkish, you just put en (the most) directly in front of the adjective. The adjective itself never changes. So, yaşlı (old) becomes en yaşlı (oldest / most old).
Does yaşlı literally mean "with age"?
Yes! The root word yaş means "age". The suffix -lı means "with" or "having". So yaşlı literally translates to "having age", which is the standard way to say "old" when talking about people.
Why isn't there a word for "is" in this sentence?
In Turkish, the "to be" verb (am, is, are) is often left out completely in simple present-tense sentences about the third person (he, she, or it). Simply putting kim (who) at the end of the sentence naturally translates to "is who?".
Could I use insan instead of kişi here?
Yes, En yaşlı insan kim? is also correct. İnsan generally means "human" or "people" in a broad sense. Kişi also means "person", but it is preferred when you are talking about individuals within a specific group, counting people, or speaking a bit more formally.