Learn Hardcore Turkish: Arkadaşımı cesaretlendirmek istiyorum, çünkü o yeni bir iş kurmaktan çekiniyor. - English: “I want to encourage my friend because he is hesitant to start a new business.”

Arkadaşımı serves as the direct object meaning “my friend.” The suffix -mı attached to arkadaş marks the accusative case, indicating that the friend is the one being encouraged.

How is the verb cesaretlendirmek constructed, and what does it represent?

Cesaretlendirmek is the infinitive form meaning “to encourage.” It is formed by taking cesaret (“courage”), adding the causative suffix -lendir, and then the infinitive ending -mek. This construction is common in Turkish when expressing actions such as encouraging someone.

What role does istiyorum play in the sentence?

İstiyorum translates to “I want” and is the first person singular form of the verb. In the sentence, it expresses the speaker's desire to carry out the action of encouraging, following the infinitive cesaretlendirmek. Turkish typically places the verb or the expression of desire at the end of the clause.

What does çünkü mean, and how is it used here?

Çünkü means “because.” It introduces a subordinate clause that explains the reason for the speaker’s desire to encourage their friend. It connects the main clause (Arkadaşımı cesaretlendirmek istiyorum) with the explanatory clause that follows.

How is the phrase yeni bir iş kurmaktan çekiniyor structured, and what does it express?

The phrase means “is hesitant about starting a new business.” Here, yeni bir iş kurmaktan is a gerundial phrase formed from iş kurmak (“to start a business”) with the suffix -maktan, which nominalizes the verb. Çekiniyor is the present continuous form of çekinmek, meaning “is hesitant” or “is reluctant.” Together, they explain the friend’s state of hesitation.

What is the role of the suffix -maktan in iş kurmaktan?

The suffix -maktan turns the verb iş kurmak (“to start a business”) into a gerund, effectively nominalizing it. In this context, it allows the verb phrase to be used as the object of the emotion or state described by çekiniyor, indicating the specific action that causes the hesitation.

Is the pronoun o gender-specific in Turkish?

No, the pronoun o is not gender-specific in Turkish. It can refer to “he,” “she,” or even “it” depending on the context. In this sentence, o simply refers to the friend, without indicating gender.

How does the sentence structure in Turkish differ from typical English word order?

Turkish generally follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) pattern rather than English’s Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order. For instance, in Arkadaşımı cesaretlendirmek istiyorum, the action cesaretlendirmek (to encourage) precedes the main verb istiyorum (I want), which is different from how the sentence would typically be arranged in English. Additionally, the causal clause introduced by çünkü follows the main clause, maintaining a logical flow that differs from English punctuation and structure.