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Questions & Answers about Az yemek yiyor.
Why is the word yemek (food) used here when yiyor already means 'eating'?
In Turkish, the verb ye- (to eat) is very often paired with the noun yemek (food) when you aren't saying exactly what the person is eating. So yemek yiyor literally means 'eating food'. In this sentence, az (little) tells us the amount of food, so it translates literally to 'eating little food'.
The dictionary says the root verb for eat is ye-. Why does it change to yi- in yiyor?
When you add the present continuous suffix -iyor to a verb root that ends in a vowel (like the e in ye-), that final vowel narrows to fit the suffix smoothly. The e changes to an i, making the word yiyor instead of 'yeiyor'.
The English translation says 'eats', but doesn't the -iyor suffix mean 'is eating'?
Yes! The -iyor suffix forms the present continuous tense, just like '-ing' in English. However, Turkish speakers frequently use this continuous tense for daily habits and general facts, which is why it translates perfectly to the English simple present 'He eats'.
How do we know it means 'He' eats little, rather than 'She' or 'I'?