Questions & Answers about Uzay karanlık ve çok soğuktu.
Why is the word for "was" attached to the end of "soğuk" (cold)?
In Turkish, "to be" in the past tense (was/were) isn't a separate word like it is in English. Instead, it is attached directly as a suffix to the noun or adjective. Because Turkish naturally places the verb or action at the very end of the sentence, the past tense suffix goes on the final adjective, making soğuktu (was cold).
Why does soğuktu end in "-tu" instead of the usual past tense "-du"?
This happens because of consonant assimilation (a rule often remembered with the catchphrase "Fıstıkçı Şahap"). The word soğuk ends with the hard, voiceless consonant k. When you add a suffix that starts with a softer d, it changes to a hard t to match. Then, "4-way vowel harmony" kicks in: because the last vowel in soğuk is u, the suffix becomes -tu.
Does the past tense in soğuktu also apply to karanlık (dark)?
Yes, it does! When you list multiple adjectives connected by ve (and), you only need to add the "to be" suffix to the very last word in the list. The past tense of soğuktu automatically reaches back to include karanlık, meaning "[it was] dark and very cold."
Can I use uzay to talk about "space" in a room or a parking lot?