Questions & Answers about Bir dakika altmış saniye.
Why isn't there a word for "is" in this sentence?
In Turkish, simple present tense sentences like "A is B" often don't need a specific word for "is". The "is" is simply implied. So, bir dakika altmış saniye literally translates to "one minute sixty seconds".
Why is it altmış saniye and not plural like altmış saniyeler?
In Turkish, whenever you use a number to specify an amount, the noun that follows it must stay in the singular form. Since you already stated the quantity with altmış (sixty), adding the plural suffix -ler to saniye (second) is not allowed.
How is the number altmış usually pronounced?
Although it is spelled altmış with an "l", in everyday spoken Turkish people almost always drop the "l" and pronounce it as "atmış". You will hear this very often, but remember to always write it as altmış.
Can I use saniye to say "second" in a race (like first, second, third)?
No, saniye is only used for "second" as a unit of time. If you want to say "second" for an order or ranking, you use the word ikinci.