Questions & Answers about Çocuk akıllı ama tembel.
Where is the word for 'is' in this sentence?
In Turkish, there is no separate word for 'is.' For the third person (he, she, it), the 'to be' verb is usually just implied by the word order, or sometimes added as a suffix like -dir. Here, saying Çocuk akıllı ama tembel is a complete sentence meaning 'The child is smart but lazy.'
How exactly do we use 'ama' here?
The word ama means 'but.' Just like in English, you place it directly between the two adjectives you are contrasting. Here, it links the positive trait akıllı (smart) with the negative trait tembel (lazy).
Why is there no word for 'the' before 'çocuk'?
Turkish does not have a definite article like the English word 'the.' The word çocuk simply means 'child,' and we rely on the context of the conversation to know it means 'the child' rather than 'a child.'
I see the ending '-lı' on 'akıllı'. What does that do?
The base word akıl means 'mind' or 'intelligence.' Adding the suffix -lı, which means 'with' or 'having', turns it into the adjective akıllı, meaning 'having a mind' or 'smart.'