Question 1

Why does it just say para değil, zaman without a word for "but"?

Accepted Answer

In Turkish, when contrasting two nouns to say "not X, but Y", you usually don't need a word for "but" like ama. You simply use değil (not) after the first noun, add a comma, and state the second noun.

Question 2

Where is the verb for "is" at the end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

The sentence equates the problem to time ("it is time"). In the present tense, the "is" suffix (-dır or -dir) is often completely left off in everyday Turkish. You could technically say zamandır, but ending with just zaman is very natural.

Question 3

Why use asıl instead of gerçek for "real"?

Accepted Answer

Gerçek usually refers to something real as opposed to fake (like a real diamond). Asıl means "real" in the sense of the primary, fundamental, or true thing. Since we are describing the main issue, asıl is the perfect choice.

Question 4

Since the lesson is about olarak (as), how would I use it here to say "I see time as the main problem"?

Accepted Answer

To use olarak (as), you would need a verb like "see" (görmek). You could restructure the sentence like this: Asıl sorun olarak parayı değil, zamanı görüyorum. This translates to "I see time, not money, as the real problem."

Asıl sorun para değil, zaman.

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