Questions & Answers about Bir çeyrek on beş dakikadır.
Why isn't it "dakikalar" since fifteen is more than one?
In Turkish, when you use a number before a noun (like on beş for fifteen), the noun stays in its singular form. So it is always on beş dakika, never on beş dakikalar.
What does the -dır suffix do at the end of dakikadır?
The -dır suffix is a formal way to say "is" or "are". It is often used to state general facts, definitions, or objective truths in Turkish. Here, it establishes the mathematical fact that a quarter is fifteen minutes.
Does çeyrek only refer to time?
No, çeyrek simply means a mathematical quarter (one fourth). While it is heavily used for telling time, you will also see it used for food, money, or measurements, such as çeyrek ekmek (a quarter of a loaf of bread).
Why do we use bir before çeyrek here, but not when reading the time?
In this sentence, we are defining what "a quarter" (one single quarter) is, so we use bir to mean "a". When telling the time (like saying a quarter past the hour), the word çeyrek acts as a fixed time phrase and the bir is dropped.
Learn Bir çeyrek on beş dakikadır and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free