Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bakkalda uzunca bir kuyruk vardı; bu durum bizi olumsuz etkiledi ama yine de bekledik. - There was a rather long queue at the small grocery store; that affected us negatively but we waited anyway.

Bakkal means a small grocery or corner store. The suffix -da is added to indicate location (i.e., "in" or "at"), so Bakkalda translates to "at the bakkal."

How does uzunca function in this sentence?

Uzunca modifies bir kuyruk and means "long" or "lengthy." It serves to emphasize the extent of the queue. Essentially, it’s an intensified or adverbial form derived from the adjective uzun to stress that the queue was particularly long.

What role does bir play in uzunca bir kuyruk?

Bir functions as the equivalent of the English indefinite article "a." It indicates a single, non-specific instance—in this case, "a" long queue. Although Turkish does not use articles exactly like English, bir fulfills a similar role.

What is the meaning of vardı in this context?

Vardı is the past tense form of the existential verb var, meaning "to exist." Here, it translates as "there was," indicating that a long queue existed at the store.

How should the clause bu durum bizi olumsuz etkiledi be understood from a grammatical perspective?

This clause translates to "this situation negatively affected us." In it, bu durum (“this situation”) is the subject, bizi (“us”) is the object, and olumsuz etkiledi is the past tense verb phrase with olumsuz emphasizing that the effect was negative.

What does the phrase ama yine de bekledik convey, and what is its structure?

The phrase ama yine de bekledik means "but still we waited." Ama introduces a contrast ("but"), yine de means "still" or "nevertheless," and bekledik is the past tense, first person plural form of beklemek ("to wait"). This structure shows that despite the negative impact of the situation, the speakers proceeded to wait.