Questions & Answers about Büyük bahçesi olan bir site arıyoruz.
How does olan translate to "that has"? Doesn't olmak mean "to be"?
Yes, olmak means "to be". However, Turkish often expresses "having" something by saying "its [thing] is". In this lesson, we add the -an participle suffix to ol- to mean "which is". So, bahçesi olan literally translates to "which its garden is" — or in natural English, "that has a garden".
Why does bahçe have the -si suffix here?
The -si is the possessive suffix meaning "its". Because of the Turkish way of expressing possession mentioned above ("its garden is"), you must attach this suffix to the thing being owned. Bahçesi olan means "that has a garden", whereas bahçe olan would incorrectly mean "that is a garden".
Is site an English loanword, and what exactly does it mean here?
It is a loanword, but its common meaning in Turkish is very specific. While it can mean a website (web sitesi), in daily life and real estate, a site (pronounced "see-teh") refers to a residential complex, apartment block community, or a housing estate (often with shared facilities like a garden or pool).
What is the root of arıyoruz, and why did the spelling change?