daha and en: comparison without changing the word
English builds 'cheaper' by bending the adjective — cheap, cheaper, the cheapest — and trips over the irregulars (good, better, best). Turkish never touches the adjective. ucuz is cheap; daha ucuz is cheaper. The word daha means 'more' and simply steps in front: no -er to hunt for, no doubling like 'bigger'. For example: “Bu daha ucuz” — This one is cheaper. A rule from the Turkish course: worked out on examples…
How it works
English builds 'cheaper' by bending the adjective — cheap, cheaper, the cheapest — and trips over the irregulars (good, better, best). Turkish never touches the adjective. ucuz is cheap; daha ucuz is cheaper. The word daha means 'more' and simply steps in front: no -er to hunt for, no doubling like 'bigger'.
The surprise is 'than'. There is a word for it, but it is not separate: the thing compared against takes the ending -dan / -den and moves to the front. Pazar, marketten daha ucuz — literally 'the market, from-the-shop, more cheap'. After voiceless consonants the ending goes voiceless too: market → marketten.
The superlative is even simpler: en in the same spot — en ucuz is the cheapest, en taze the freshest. It refuses to combine with daha: one or the other, never both.
At the market these two words carry the whole haggling load: daha ucuz olur mu? — 'will it be any cheaper?'
Table
| degree | how it is built | example |
|---|---|---|
| plain | the word itself | ucuz — cheap |
| comparative | daha + the word | daha ucuz — cheaper |
| with "than" | -dan/-den on the second word | bundan daha ucuz — cheaper than this |
| superlative | en + the word | en ucuz — the cheapest |
By example
- Bu daha ucuzThis one is cheaper
- Pazar, marketten daha ucuzIt is cheaper at the market than at the shop
- En taze balık buradaThe freshest fish is here
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Daha vs en in Turkish?
English builds 'cheaper' by bending the adjective — cheap, cheaper, the cheapest — and trips over the irregulars (good, better, best). Turkish never touches the adjective. ucuz is cheap; daha ucuz is cheaper. The word daha means 'more' and simply steps in front: no -er to hunt for, no doubling like…
How to say than in a Turkish comparison?
The surprise is 'than'. There is a word for it, but it is not separate: the thing compared against takes the ending -dan / -den and moves to the front. Pazar, marketten daha ucuz — literally 'the market, from-the-shop, more cheap'. After voiceless consonants the ending goes voiceless too: market →…
Why marketten daha ucuz?
The superlative is even simpler: en in the same spot — en ucuz is the cheapest, en taze the freshest. It refuses to combine with daha: one or the other, never both.
How to ask for something cheaper in Turkish?
At the market these two words carry the whole haggling load: daha ucuz olur mu? — 'will it be any cheaper?'
What does it look like in an example sentence Turkish?
“Bu daha ucuz” — This one is cheaper. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.