# Türkiye'nin başkenti Ankara'dır



## FlyingBird

What dır mean in this sentence?


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## ancalimon

Türkiye'nin başkenti Ankara'*dır*.

The capital of Turkey *is* Ankara.

dır, dir, dur, dür suffix add a certain amount of certainty to the sentence.  Also the emphasis is on "Ankara".

You may also say:

Ankara Türkiye'nin başkentidir. (emphasis is on başkent)


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## FlyingBird

yeah but "Türkiyenin başkenti ankara" also mean The capital of Turkey *is *Ankara
Because suffix dir is not required,can you explain it better?


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## Rallino

The copula *-dir* has four major uses. There is a previous thread about it, albeit in Turkish. See if you can understand:
Copula: dir/dır/dur/dür - [Grammar]


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## FlyingBird

question: Senin kardeşin nerede?
Answer: evinde*dir* ama onu görmedim
question: O nasıl?
Answer: İyi*dir
*
or

Question:Türkiyenin başkenti hangi şehir*dir*?
Answer:Türkiyenin başkenti ankara'*dır*
Question:Emin mısın?
Answer:evet,100% eminim


There is difference between first and second text,how would you explain it now?
And rallino I do not understand my english neither turkish is good 
I need answer here.


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## Rallino

Then if I sum it up quickly:

1. It's used in scientific/encyclopaedical information: 
→ Ay, Dünya'nın uydusu*dur*. (The Moon is the satellite of the Earth)

2. When we talk about a possibility:
→ Pelin uyuyor*dur*. (Pelin is *probably* sleeping).

3. When we talk about historical facts:
→ Berlin duvarı, 1989'da yıkılmış*tır*. (The wall of Berlin was destroyed in 1989.)

4. When someone of higher status (president, judge, boss, etc.) gives orders:
→ Burası halka açık bir alan*dır*. (This place is open to public.)

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Your examples;
_Türkiye'nin başkenti Ankara'*dır*._ falls under rule #1. It's encyclopaedical information.
_Evinde*dir*; ama onu görmedim. _falls under rule #2. The speaker is not 100% sure; he's guessing.

P.S. Rules #1 and #4 can be said without the _-dir_ in *spoken* language. But in written language, it's absolutely necessary to write it.


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## FlyingBird

Rallino said:


> Then if I sum it up quickly:
> 
> 1. It's used in scientific/encyclopaedical information:
> → Ay, Dünya'nın uydusu*dur*. (The Moon is the satellite of the Earth)
> 
> 2. When we talk about a possibility:
> → Pelin uyuyor*dur*. (Pelin is *probably* sleeping).
> 
> 3. When we talk about historical facts:
> → Berlin duvarı, 1989'da yıkılmış*tır*. (The wall of Berlin was destroyed in 1989.)
> 
> 4. When someone of higher status (president, judge, boss, etc.) gives orders:
> → Burası halka açık bir alan*dır*. (This place is open to public.)
> 
> -----------
> 
> Your examples;
> _Türkiye'nin başkenti Ankara'*dır*._ falls under rule #1. It's encyclopaedical information.
> _Evinde*dir*; ama onu görmedim. _falls under rule #2. The speaker is not 100% sure; he's guessing.
> 
> P.S. Rules #1 and #4 can be said without the _-dir_ in *spoken* language. But in written language, it's absolutely necessary to write it.


Good,you explained how to answer with "dir".But...

-O nasıldır?
-O kimdir?
-Türkiyenin başkenti kimdir?
-Nereye gidiyorsundur?

this is something difference now because we are asking a question.
How would you explain meaning of suffix "dir" in those sentences above?


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## Rallino

> -O nasıldır?
> -O kimdir?
> -Türkiyenin başkenti kimdir?
> -Nereye gidiyorsundur? This one is not very correct.



These also rather fall under the 1st rule. You would almost always see them as the title of an article or an essay. It implies that we need a neutral/scientific/unbiaised answer, therefore the 'encyclopaedical' -dir.

In any case, in spoken language it's rarer.


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