Word
Herkes mutlu olmak istiyor.
Meaning
Everyone wants to be happy.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Herkes mutlu olmak istiyor.
istemek
to want / to require / to call for
herkes
everyone
mutlu olmak
to become happy
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Questions & Answers about Herkes mutlu olmak istiyor.
Since 'herkes' means 'everyone' (many people), why does 'istiyor' use the singular form instead of the plural 'istiyorlar'?
Just like in English, the word herkes (everyone) is treated as a singular subject. Because of this, it takes the 'he/she/it' verb ending, which gives us the singular istiyor rather than the plural istiyorlar.
Why is the verb 'olmak' (to be) used here? Can't I just say 'Herkes mutlu istiyor'?
In Turkish, you cannot simply 'want an adjective.' You have to want 'to be' that adjective. Just like in English where you say 'wants to be happy', in Turkish you must put the infinitive verb olmak (to be) right after the adjective mutlu (happy).
The dictionary form of the verb 'to want' is 'istemek'. Why is it spelled 'istiyor' here instead of 'isteyor'?
When a verb root ends in a wide vowel, like the e in iste-, and you add the present continuous suffix -yor, that final vowel drops or narrows to fit vowel harmony. In this case, the e narrows to an i, creating istiyor.