Learn Turkish: Yolda büyük bir engel var, geçemeyiz. - There is a big obstacle on the road, we cannot pass.

Yolda büyük bir engel var, geçemeyiz.

There is a big obstacle on the road, we cannot pass.

Breakdown of Yolda büyük bir engel var, geçemeyiz.

Questions & Answers about Yolda büyük bir engel var, geçemeyiz.

How is the inability suffix used in geçemeyiz?

The verb root is geç- (to pass). The standard negative aorist for 'we do not pass' is geçmeyiz. To say 'cannot', we squeeze the inability marker -e- right after the verb root, making it geçemeyiz. If the verb had hard vowels, we would use -a- instead.

Why is the word order büyük bir engel and not bir büyük engel?

In English, we say 'a big obstacle'. But in Turkish, when a noun has both an adjective (like büyük) and the word bir (a/an), the adjective almost always comes first. The standard order is Adjective + bir + Noun, so it translates literally as 'big an obstacle'.

How does yolda mean 'on the road'?

The base word is yol, meaning 'road' or 'way'. The -da suffix is the locative case ending, which indicates location ('in', 'on', or 'at'). Together, they form 'on the road'.

Is there a word for 'so' or 'therefore' missing before geçemeyiz?

Turkish often joins two related statements with just a comma where English might naturally use a conjunction. The cause and effect are clear from the context, so there is no strict need to add a connecting word like bu yüzden (therefore).