Learn Turkish: Patron zengin ama kibar değil. - The boss is rich but not polite.

Patron zengin ama kibar değil.

The boss is rich but not polite.

Breakdown of Patron zengin ama kibar değil.

Questions & Answers about Patron zengin ama kibar değil.

Does ama join two separate sentences here, or just the adjectives?

ama (but) connects the two contrasting descriptions (zengin and kibar değil) to the same subject (patron). Just like in English, you don't need to repeat the subject after the conjunction.

Why is değil at the very end of the sentence? Does it negate zengin too?

No, it only negates kibar (polite). In Turkish, the negation word değil (not) always comes after the specific noun or adjective it makes negative. Because ama separates the two ideas, we know değil only applies to the second half.

There is no word for 'is' in this sentence. Is it hidden?

Exactly! Turkish doesn't use a separate verb like 'is' for simple descriptive sentences about a 'he', 'she', or 'it' subject. You just place the subject (patron) directly next to the adjectives.

I recognize the word patron. Does it mean a customer like in English?

It looks similar, but in Turkish patron strictly means a boss or employer. If you want to talk about a customer in a shop or restaurant, you would use the word müşteri.