Breakdown of Turnuva yarın başlayacak mı?
başlamak
to begin, to start
yarın
tomorrow
mi
question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)
turnuva
tournament
Questions & Answers about Turnuva yarın başlayacak mı?
Why is there a -y- in başlayacak?
The verb root is başla- (to start), which ends in a vowel. The future tense suffix is -acak. In Turkish, when a suffix starting with a vowel attaches to a word ending in a vowel, we use the buffer letter -y- to link them. So it becomes başla + y + acak.
How does the question particle work in the future tense here?
To make a yes/no question in the future tense, you put the question particle (mı or mi) after the future tense verb. It is written as a separate word, but it still follows vowel harmony. Since the last vowel in başlayacak is an a, we use mı.
Why isn't there a personal suffix on mı?
The subject of this sentence is turnuva (the tournament), which is a third-person singular subject (like "it"). In Turkish, the third-person singular has no visible personal suffix. If the subject were "you", the question particle would take a suffix, becoming başlayacak mısın?
Could we put mı after yarın instead of at the end?
Yes, but it would change what you are emphasizing! Placing the particle after the time word (Turnuva yarın mı başlayacak?) specifically asks "Will the tournament start TOMORROW?" (as opposed to another day). Placing it after the verb simply asks if the event is going to happen.