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Questions & Answers about Yemek yapmak güzel.
Why does yapmak have the -mak suffix here?
The -mak or -mek suffix is the infinitive form, which turns a verb into a noun. It works just like adding "-ing" or using "to [verb]" in English. Here, yapmak (to make / making) acts as the subject of the sentence. So, yemek yapmak acts as the noun concept of "cooking."
Wait, isn't yemek the verb for "to eat"?
It is! But yemek is also the everyday noun for "food" or "meal." Because it looks exactly like the infinitive verb "to eat," you have to tell them apart by context. Here, it is used as the noun "food," so yemek yapmak literally means "making food."
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
In Turkish, there is no separate word for "is." When stating a simple fact in the present tense (for he, she, or it), you can just place the subject and the adjective side-by-side. Yemek yapmak (Cooking) + güzel (nice) is a perfectly complete sentence!
Could I use the verb pişirmek (to cook) instead of yemek yapmak?
Yes, but they have slightly different feels. Yemek yapmak (making food) is the broad, everyday phrase for preparing a meal. Pişirmek specifically refers to the physical act of applying heat to raw ingredients, like baking, boiling, or frying.