Questions & Answers about Telefonum bozuk.
Since this lesson is about kendi, could I say kendi telefonum bozuk?
Yes! Adding kendi before the noun emphasizes possession. Kendi telefonum bozuk means 'My own phone is broken.' You might use this to contrast with someone else's phone that is working perfectly fine.
Does bozuk mean the phone is physically smashed?
Not necessarily. Bozuk generally means 'out of order,' 'malfunctioning,' or 'broken' in the sense that the software or electronics are not working. If your phone is physically smashed or shattered, you would use the word kırık instead.
Where is the word for 'is' in this sentence?
There isn't one! In the present tense, Turkish often does not need a specific word or suffix for 'is' when talking about the third person (he/she/it). Therefore, Telefonum bozuk literally looks like 'My phone broken,' but the 'is' is naturally understood.
Why does telefon take the -um suffix for 'my' instead of -im?
This is a quick refresher on 4-way vowel harmony. The possessive suffix for 'my' changes its vowel to match the last vowel of the root word. Because the last vowel in telefon is an 'o', the suffix must use a 'u', making it -um.
Learn Telefonum bozuk and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free