Breakdown of O koleksiyoncu bu hakiki heykeli satmıyor, değil mi?
bu
this
o
that / he / she / it
satmak
to sell
heykel
statue
koleksiyoncu
collector
değil mi
isn't it / right (tag question)
hakiki
genuine / authentic
Questions & Answers about O koleksiyoncu bu hakiki heykeli satmıyor, değil mi?
Does the question tag değil mi change because the main verb satmıyor is negative?
No, it doesn't. When used as a tag question at the end of a sentence to mean "right?" or "isn't that so?", değil mi is completely invariable. It stays exactly the same regardless of the sentence's tense, subject, or whether the main verb is positive or negative.
Why does heykel (sculpture) have an -i at the end?
Because it is the specific direct object of the verb. The collector isn't selling just any sculpture, but this specific sculpture (bu hakiki heykel). Whenever a direct object is pointed out with a demonstrative like bu (this), it requires the definite accusative case suffix, which is -i here.
Could I use gerçek instead of hakiki to mean "genuine"?
Yes, you can. Gerçek is the more common, everyday word for "real" or "genuine." Hakiki is an older word of Arabic origin that sounds a bit more formal. It is often used specifically for authentic materials like "genuine leather" (hakiki deri) or, as in this sentence, an authentic collectible item.
Why is the negative part of satmıyor spelled with an -ı- instead of -ma-?
This is caused by vowel narrowing. The verb root is sat- (to sell), so the normal negative suffix is -ma- (satma-). However, when you add the present continuous suffix -yor, the broad vowel a narrows to ı, resulting in satmıyor.
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