Questions & Answers about Bu bir kedi mi?
Why is the question word mi instead of mı?
This is because of 4-way vowel harmony. The question particle changes its vowel to match the last vowel of the word right before it. The last vowel in kedi is i, so the question particle becomes mi.
Where is the word for 'is' in this sentence?
Turkish doesn't have a direct, separate word for 'is' in sentences like this. Instead, it is simply understood from the sentence structure. Bu bir kedi literally means 'This a cat,' which translates naturally to 'This is a cat.'
Does the question particle mi always go at the very end of the sentence?
It usually goes right after the word you are questioning. Here, you are asking if the object is a cat, so mi comes after kedi. In standard Yes/No questions about what something is, the particle sits at the end.
Why does bir come after Bu?
In this sentence, Bu (this) is the subject. bir kedi means 'a cat'. Just like in English, the subject comes first. The order is 'This' (Bu) followed by 'a cat' (bir kedi).