Turkish Grammar - Word-order

Word-order

Turkish is generally SOV. A general rule of Turkish word-order is that the modifier precedes the modified:

• adjective (used attributively) precedes noun;
• adverb precedes verb;
• object of postposition precedes postposition.

Also, in a sentence,

• subject precedes predicate;
• objects precede verb;
• indirect object precedes direct object.

However, because the distinction between subject, indirect object, and direct object is also indicated with inflection, Turkish word order can vary.

The order of morphemes in Turkish is often opposite to English:

Avrupa Europe Avrupalı European Avrupalılaş become European (command) Avrupalılaştır Europeanize (command) Avrupalılaştırama I wish you could not Europeanize Avrupalılaştıramadık we could not Europeanize Avrupalılaştıramadıklar those whom could not Europeanize Avrupalılaştıramadıklarımız those whom we could not Europeanize Avrupalılaştıramadıklarımızdan one of those whom we could not Europeanize Avrupalılaştıramadıklarımızdan mı? Is S/he one of those whom we could not Europeanize? Avrupalılaştıramadıklarımızdan mısın? Are you one of those whom we could not Europeanize? Avrupalılaştıramadıklarımızdan mısınız? Are you one of those whom we could not Europeanize? (second plural or formal)

Within the same context, the longest Turkish word consists of 44 characters: Çekoslovakyalılaştıramadıklarımızdanmışsınız = You are apparently one of those we weren't (or haven't been) able to make a Czechoslovakian. (And equally: İskandinavyalılaştıramadıklarımızdanmışsınız = same for a Scandinavian.).