Learn Turkish: Karar vermek kolay değil.

In Turkish, the set phrase for "to make a decision" or "to decide" is karar vermek (literally "to give a decision"). Languages often pair different verbs with nouns, so while English uses "make," Turkish uses vermek.

Why is the verb vermek left in its dictionary form ending in -mek?

The infinitive form of a verb (ending in -mak or -mek) acts as a noun in Turkish. Here, karar vermek is the subject of the sentence, translating to "deciding" or "to decide."

Why do we use değil for "not" instead of a negative verb suffix like -me?

We use değil because we are negating the adjective kolay (easy), not a verb. You only use suffixes like -me or -ma when you are negating the action itself, for example, karar vermiyorum (I am not deciding).

Why isn't there a "to be" word at the end like değildir?

In the present tense, third-person sentences often drop the "to be" suffix (-dir or -dır). Saying kolay değil already means "is not easy." Adding the -dir suffix to make it kolay değildir sounds very formal or factual, so it is usually left out in everyday conversation.