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Questions & Answers about Hayır, saatim geri.
Wait, I thought saat meant 'hour' or 'time'. Why does it mean 'watch' here?
Saat is a very versatile word! Depending on the context, it can mean 'hour', 'time', 'clock', or 'watch'. Here, since it has the 'my' suffix (-im), it translates to 'my watch' or 'my clock'.
Why is the suffix for 'my' -im instead of -ım? Doesn't saat end in a back vowel?
Good eye! Saat is a famous exception to the vowel harmony rules because it is a borrowed word from Arabic. Even though its last vowel is the back vowel 'a', it takes front-vowel suffixes. So 'my watch' becomes saatim instead of saatım.
I learned that geri means 'back'. How does it mean 'slow' in this sentence?
In Turkish, to say a watch or clock is 'slow', you literally say it is 'back' (geri). It makes sense if you think about the time shown being behind what it should be! For a 'fast' clock, you use the word for 'forward' (ileri).
Where is the 'is' in this sentence? Why isn't there a suffix at the end?
In simple Turkish sentences, the 'to be' verb (am/is/are) for a third-person subject like 'my watch' is usually invisible. You don't need to add a personal suffix to geri. Just saying saatim geri perfectly means 'my watch is slow'.