TURKÝSH GRAMMER LESSON-8

SIFATLAR - ADJECTIVES

Words which describe the condition, colour size, number, position and place of nouns are called adjectives.

Adjectives precede their noun and are used together with that noun.

The formulation of an adjective + noun is called an Adjective Completion.

Adjectives are divided into two groups according to their quality:

I. QUALIFYING ADJECTIVES:

Adjectives which describe condition, colour or shape are called Qualifying Adjectives.

Hasta adam - Durumunu belirtir.
The sick man - Describes Condition.
Kýrmýzý elma - Rengini belirtir.
The red apple - Describes Colour.
Yuvarlak masa - Þeklini belirtir.
The round table - Describes Shape.

NOTE:
Qualifying Adjectives answer the question How? within a sentence.

II. DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES:

Adjectives which signal (demonstrate), question, show position or number are called Descriptive Adjectives.

There are four types of Descriptive Adjectives
(1). Ýþaret sýfatý -Demonstrative Adjectives - this, that
(2). Soru sýfatý - Interrogative Adjectives - which?, who?, that?
(3). Sayý sýfatý -Numerical Adjectives - one, two, third, fourth, thee each, five each
(4). Belgisiz sýfat - Indefinite Adjectives - some, any, many, few

(1). Ýþaret sýfatý: - Demonstrative Adjectives:

This, that, that yonder - when used with a noun or in place of a noun (as a Demonstrative Pronoun) are called Demonstrative Adjectives as they demonstrate which noun is being qualified.

These Demonstrative Adjectives can also be used with the suffix -ki - that which - to mean - nearside, farside, the other nearer, the other further

Also -ki - that which - and -deki - that which is located at.. - can be used as suffixes and are also Demonstrative Adjectives.

Ki itself can be used as an adjective or a suffixed adjective and is called the Ki Form.

EXAMPLES:
Bu kalem - this pen.
Þu pencere - that window.
O araba - that car yonder.
Öteki çocuk - the further child.
Beriki bisiklet - the nearby bicycle.
Dolaptaki elbise - the clothes (which are) in the cupboard.
Beriki dað - the nearby mountain.
Öteki kitap - the other book (over there.)
Yoldaki araba - the car (which is) in the road.

NOTE:
The Demonstrative Adjectives can only be used in the singular and simple form - (that is, not further extended with suffixes) otherwise they are not adjectives but either pronouns or nouns.

(2). Soru sýfatý: - Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative Adjectives describe condition, place or number in a question form.

EXAMPLES:
Nasýl çocuk? - How a child? - (What sort of child?)
Hangi okul? - Which school?
Kaç para? - How much money?
Kaçar elma? - How many apples each?
Kaçta kaç pasta? - How much pasta in how much?
Kaçýncý çocuk? - Which child (in a series)? - (Answer might be "The ninth child..")
Ne biçim böcek? - What sort of insect?
Ne tür bitki? - What type of plant?
Ne çeþit meyve? - What sort of fruit?
Ne kadar karpuz? - How many water-melons?
Neredeki ev? - The house where?

(3). Sayý sýfatý: - Numerical Adjectives

These adjectives describe number, order, equality and fractional parts of nouns.

Sayý sýfatlarý dört çeþittir:
Numerical Adjectives have four forms:
(a) Asýl sayý sýfatlarý
(A) Simple Numerical Adjectives (Cardinal Numbers) - one, two, three etc.
(b) Sýra sayý sýfatlarý
(B) Number Order Adjectives (Ordinal Numbers) - first, second, third etc.
(c) Üleþtirme sayý sýfatlarý
(C) Partitive Adjectives - a half, a third, a fifth etc.
(d) Kesir sayý sýfatlarý
(D) Fractional Adjectives - two-thirds, three-quarters, twelve percent etc.
(e) Topluluk (Grup) sayý sýfatlarý
(E) Numbered Group Adjectives - twin, triple, twins, triplets etc.

(a) Asýl sayý sýfatlarý:
Simple (Cardinal) Numbers
These adjectives describe the number (1, 2, 3, 4...) of the noun.

EXAMPLES:
Bir araba - a, one car
Ýki elma - two apples
Üç silgi - three rubbers
Yirmi kilometre - twenty kilometers
Beþ düzine yumurta - five dozen eggs
On sayfa - ten pages

NOTE:
Numerical Adjectives answer the question - How many?, How much?

(b) Sýra sayý sýfatlarý:
Adjectives of Numerical Order
The suffix -inci, -ýncý, -uncu, -üncü or -nci etc. - after a vowel is attached to the simple number

EXAMPLES:
Birinci araba - the first car
Onuncu ev - the tenth house
Yirminci kilometre - the twentieth kilometer
Yirmi birinci yüzyýl - the twenty-first century

NOTE:
To find this type of adjective we ask - Which one?

(c) Üleþtirme sayý sýfatý:
Partitive (Sharing) Adjective
This adjective describes an equal divisions to each person of shared items.

The suffix -ar or -er as added to the simple noun. Buffer letter -þ- is used between vowels.

EXAMPLES:
Sekizer kalem - eight pencils eachh
Dokuzar silgi - nine rubbers each
Altýþar elma - six appler each
Ýkiþer kavun - two melons each

NOTE:
Buffer letter -þ- is used after words that end in vowels, so in these cases the the suffix becomes -þar or -þer.

We ask the question - How many each? - to find this type of adjective.

(d) Kesir sayý sýfatý:
Fractional Adjectives
These Adjectives describe how many equal fractional parts of the whole noun.

The Fractional Adjective describes how many equal parts that the whole is divided into and which actual part or parts are being described.

To find this adjective we ask Which part of..? or How many part(s) of the whole?

EXAMPLES:
Sekizde bir karpuz. - One eighth of a melon
Onda üç elma - three tenths of an apple
Yüzde yetmiþ faiz - seventy percent interest
Dörtte bir pasta - a quarter of a cake

(e) Topluluk sayý sýfatý
Numerical Group Adjectives:

This adjective describes a numerical group.

EXAMPLES:
Ýkiz çocuk - twin children (twins)
Üçüz bebek - triple babies (triplets)

(4). Belgisiz sýfat: - Indefinite adjectives

This adjective describes the noun approximately and without particularity.

EXAMPLES:
Biraz süt - some milk
Birkaç çocuk - some children, a few children
Birçok insan - some people, a few people
Birtakým kuþlar - a flock of birds (a set of...)
Her anne - every mother
Baþka gün - another day
Herhangi bir konu - whichever subject
Hiç bir zaman - never (not any time)
Beþ on defter - 5 to 10 books
Üç beþ ay - 3 or 5 months - We say 2 or 3 in English wheras Turkish says 3 or 5
Bütün yýl - all year (long)
Bir gün - one (any) day

NOTE:
About the word - bir - a, an one
(A) If - bir tane - one piece - or - bir takým - one set - is used then it is not an Indefinite Adjective but a Numerical or Number Group Adjective.
(B) Herhangi bir - whichever one - is an Indefinite Adjective.

EXAMPLES:
Manavdan bir karpuz aldým. - Sayý Sýfatý - I bought a melon from the grocers - Numerical Adjective
Bir gün size geleceðim. - Belgisiz sýfat - One day I will visit you - Indefinite Adjective
Bir yaz akþamý güneþ erken batmýþtý... - Belgisiz sýfat - The sun sank early one summer's day - Indefinite Adjective

PARTICULAR TYPES OF ADJECTIVE

I. ADJECTIVES OF TITLE:

These adjectives describe the rank, duty, degree, station, official position and social standing of the person noun or spoken respect and ackowlgement of the Title or Proffesion etc...

The position of Adjective of Title may come before or after the noun also the can come both before and after in certain circumstances.

In short, Adjectives of Title are used with names in these three forms:

(1). Ýsimden önce: - Before the noun:

EXAMPLES:
Doktor Mehmet - Dr. Mehmet
Yüzbaþý Hasan - Captain Hasan
Bay Cemil - Mr Cemil
Demirci Ahmet - (the) Miller Ahmet

(2). Ýsimden sonra: - After the noun:

EXAMPLES:
Ahmet Bey - Mr. Ahmet
Ayþe Haným - Miss/Ms/Mrs. Ayþe
Hasan Yüzbaþý - Captain Hasan (the Captain)
Mustafa Kemal Paþa - General Mustafa Kemal (the General)
Mehmet Dayý - Uncle Mahmat (maternal uncle)

(3). Hem isimden önce hem de isimden sonra: - Both before and after the noun:

EXAMPLES:
Öðretmen Ayþe Haným - Miss Ayþe the Teacher
Doktor Mehmet Bey - Dr. Mr. Mehmet
Makinist Ahmet Usta - Machinist Ahmet the Expert

NOTE:
The Adjectives of Title are written in capital letters.

II. ADJECTIVES OF STRUCTURE

These adjectives are divided into three types.

(1). Basit sýfatlar: - Simple Adjectives:

The noun does not take a suffix in the simple form.

EXAMPLES:
Kýrýk masa - a broken table
Üç elma - three apples
Bu çocuk - this child
O adam - that man

(2). Türemiþ sýfatlar: - Extended or Derived Adjectives:

The noun takes a suffix and th Adjective is derived from a noun or a verb.

EXAMPLES:
Elmalý pasta (Ýsimden türemiþ) -lý yapým eki
Apple cake - derived from the noun "elma - apple" by adding the -li - consisting of.. suffix

Þekersiz çay (Ýsimden türemiþ) -siz yapým eki
Unsugared tea - derived from "sugar" by adding the -siz - without suffix.

Dalgýn çocuk (Fiilden türemiþ) -gýn yapým eki
(the) Absent-minded child. - derived from the verb "dalmak - to plunge" using the -gin suffix.

Uyuyan köpek (Fiilden türemiþ) -an yapým eki, -y- kaynaþtýrma harfi
(the) sleeping dog. - derived from the verb "uyumak - to sleep" by adding the -an - who/which/that is.. suffix and using buffer letter -y-

(3). Bileþik sýfatlar: - Coupled Adjectives:

Adjectives formed from two or more words strung together.

EXAMPLES:
Vurdumduymaz çocuk - the thick-skinned child - vurmak (to hit) + duymaz (does not feel)
Birkaç ev - a few houses - bir (a) + kaç (how many)
Soðukkanlý insanlar - cold-blooded people - Soðuk (cold) + kanlý (blooded)
Açýkgöz kadýn - (the) greedy girl - Açýk (open) + göz (eye)
Cingöz Ahmet - Sly Ahmet - Cin (djinn) + göz (eye)

III. INTENSIFIED ADJECTIVES:

Adjective forms which deepen, strengthen and intensify their basic meaning.

There are four forms of Adjectival Intensification:

(A). Some adjectives can be Intensified by adding one of the letters - m, p, r, s - to the first syllable of the Simple Adjective. The resulting syllable is prefixed to the Simple Adjective to form an Intensified Adjective.

EXAMPLES:
Beyaz önlük - Be + m + beyaz önlük - Bembeyaz önlük - Bright white apron
Kýrmýzý elma - Ký + p + kýrmýz elma - Kýpkýrmýzý elma - bright red apple
Temiz çocuk - Te + r + temiz çocuk - Tertemiz çocuk - squeaky clean child
Doðru yol - Dosdoðru yol - Dead straight road

(b) Ýkileme ( tekrarlama ) yolu ile:
(B) The repetition of the qualifying adjective before the noun gives a feeling of Intensity.

EXAMPLES:
Beyaz diþler - Beyaz beyaz diþler - white teeth - bright white teeth
Sýcak çörekler - Sýcak sýcak çörekler - fresh buns - really fresh buns
Sarý kumlar - Sarý sarý kumlar - yellow sands - bright yellow sands
Uzun yollar - Uzun uzun yollar - long roads - really long roads
Taze yumurta - Taze taze yumurtar - fresh eggs - really fresh eggs

(C). Putting the question particle between repeated qualifying adjectives.

EXAMPLES:
Beyaz diþler - Beyaz beyaz diþler - beyaz mý beyaz diþler - white teeth - very white teeth
Sarý sarý kumlar - Sarý mý sarý kumlar - yellow yellow sands - the sands are so yellow
Sýcak sýcak çörekler - Sýcak mý sýcak çörekler - very fresh buns - the buns are so fresh
Sarý sarý kumlar - Sarý mý sarý kumlar - bright yellow sands - shining bright yellow sands
Uzun uzun yollar - Uzun mu uzun yollar - very long roads - the roads are so long

IV. REDUCING ADJECTIVES:

Reducing or narrowing adjectives are formed by adding the suffixes -ce, -cik to qualifiying adjectives or -(i)msi, -(i)mtýrak - to colours.

These adjectives are called Reducing Adjectives when these suffixes are added.

EXAMPLES:
Güzel araba - güzelce araba - a niceish car
Yeþil elma - yeþilimsi elma - a greenish apple
Mavi çanta - mavimsi çanta - a blueish bag
Kýsa pantolon - kýsacýk pantolon - little short pants
Küçük masa - küçücük masa - a smallish table
Mavi çanta - mavimtýrak çanta - a blueish bag
Sarý elma - sarýmtýrak elma - a yellowish apple