Learn Turkish: Kuzey soğukken, güney her zaman sıcaktır. - While the north is cold, the south is always hot.

Kuzey soğukken, güney her zaman sıcaktır.

While the north is cold, the south is always hot.

Breakdown of Kuzey soğukken, güney her zaman sıcaktır.

Questions & Answers about Kuzey soğukken, güney her zaman sıcaktır.

Why do we use -tır at the end of sıcaktır instead of just saying sıcak?

The suffix -tır is the factual ending (often written as -DIr). It is used here because the sentence states a general, unchanging geographical fact. It takes the form -tır instead of -dır because sıcak ends in a hard consonant (k), and its vowel is 'ı' to match the 'a' in sıcak.

How does the word soğukken work here?

The suffix -ken means 'while' or 'whereas'. You can attach it directly to an adjective like soğuk (cold) to mean 'while it is cold'. In this sentence, it perfectly sets up the contrast between the north and the south.

Does -ken follow vowel harmony rules in soğukken?

No, -ken is a special suffix in Turkish because it never changes its vowel. Even though soğuk has back vowels (o, u), the suffix stays as -ken with a front vowel (e).

What is the literal translation of her zaman?

The word her means 'every' and zaman means 'time'. Together they form the standard Turkish phrase for 'always', emphasizing that the south being hot is a constant fact.