Breakdown of Bu bakır tabakta hiç çizik yok, değil mi?
bu
this
değil
not
yok
there is not / non-existent
hiç
at all / any
Questions & Answers about Bu bakır tabakta hiç çizik yok, değil mi?
Why do we use değil mi here, and does it ever change its vowels to match the sentence?
Değil mi? translates to "isn't it?" or "right?" and is used when you expect the listener to agree with you. Even though question particles usually follow vowel harmony, as a confirmation tag, değil mi is a set phrase. It is completely invariable and will always look exactly like this, regardless of the vowels in the rest of the sentence.
Why is hiç used before çizik yok?
Hiç means "at all" or "any" when used with a negative statement. Because yok means "there is not", adding hiç makes the statement stronger. Hiç çizik yok emphasizes that there are absolutely zero scratches on the plate.
Why isn't it bakır tabağı? Doesn't "copper plate" require a noun compound?
When a noun describes the material something is made of (like bakır for copper, or altın for gold), it acts just like a regular adjective. You don't form a noun compound, so you don't add the possessive suffix -ı to the second word. It is simply bakır tabak.
Why is the locative suffix -ta on tabakta instead of -da?