Hello everyone,

I already know some basics Turkish - just to refresh I played the first lesson. There is used phrase: "Adınız nedir?" I understood that is polite form.
I have also some others study book - there are used forms: Adın ne? or Senin adın ne?
So, "nedir" is just formal polite expression? Or is it used for some other reason there?

And from lesson 2: there is "harikaydı" - can it be ı and i in the same word (I was trying to learn harmony rules, but many I got it all wrong - about soft and hard vowels)?

Thank you for help in advance.

-nedir is a question phrase that is commonly used in composing a formal and complete sentence : Sizin adınız nedir ? or Masanın üzerindeki şey nedir ?

It's not just a polite expression. Example : Kitabının adı nedir ?
Bu nedir?(what is this) Sorun nedir ? (What's the matter? )
Yes,you're right : senin adın ne / adın ne These are informal.

And your second question :
There are some words - especially from Arabic or other foreign imported words which exhibit this irregularity, but it is not too important.

Enigma, I would like to make a hyperliteral translation of the sentence "Adınız nedir?" :

Ad - ınız - ne - dir?

Name - your (polite form) suffix - what - is suffix?

So: Name your what is?

= What is your name? = What's your name?

Ad - ın = Name - your (informal form) suffix

Ne? = is an interrogative pronoun and means "What?"

Fasulye

Grammar explanation for enigma:

"olmak" is a defective verb in the present tense.
So there are are only suffixes used to indicate this tense.

To give an example: mutlu = happy (adjective)

And you have to use the vowel harmony:

I am happy: ben mutlu - y - um
you are happy: sen mutlu - sun
he / she / it is happy: o mutlu - (dur)* (you can leave this out)*
we are happy: biz multu - y - uz
you are happy: siz mutlu - sunuz
they are happy: onlar mutlu - (lar)*

Fasulye

Side remark: I have never learned to SPEAK Turkish, because when I was studying Turkish, I never had any regular conversation partners, but I do understand the Turkish grammar quite well on the A1 / A2 - level.

Fasulye

Thank you, Fasulye.
I know more of daily Turkish than grammar, becouse I have been for nearly a year in Turkey.


Teşekkur ederim, Ozne. :-)