Breakdown of Zekiler her zaman kazanmaz.
kazanmak
to earn / to win
her zaman
always
zeki
intelligent, bright
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Questions & Answers about Zekiler her zaman kazanmaz.
Wait, zeki just means "intelligent." How does zekiler translate to "the intelligent ones"?
In Turkish, you can turn an adjective into a noun (substantivization) simply by adding noun suffixes to it. Here, attaching the plural suffix -ler to the adjective zeki (intelligent) turns it directly into "the intelligent ones" or "smart people." You don't need to add a separate word for "people" or "ones."
Why is the verb kazanmaz (singular) when the subject zekiler is plural? Shouldn't it be kazanmazlar?
In Turkish, when a plural subject refers to people, adding the plural suffix (-lar or -ler) to the verb is optional. Both zekiler kazanmaz and zekiler kazanmazlar are grammatically correct. Dropping the plural suffix on the verb is very common because it sounds natural and avoids repetition.
Why is the aorist tense used here (kazanmaz) instead of the present continuous (kazanmıyor)?
The aorist tense (often called the "broad time" in Turkish) is used for general truths, habits, and timeless statements. Because "intelligent people don't always win" is being stated as a universal fact rather than an action happening right now, the negative aorist suffix -maz is the correct choice.
Can you break down the phrase her zaman?
Her means "every" and zaman means "time." When put together, her zaman literally means "every time," which is the standard Turkish way to say "always."