Breakdown of Posta ofisine gidip bir mektup gönderdim.
bir
a
gitmek
to go
göndermek
to send
mektup
the letter
-e
to
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Questions & Answers about Posta ofisine gidip bir mektup gönderdim.
What is the function of the -ip suffix in gidip?
The -ip suffix turns the verb gitmek (to go) into an adverbial participle that connects two sequential actions. It shows that the action of sending a letter happened after (or as a result of) going to the post office, linking both verbs in one sentence.
Why is the subject pronoun not explicitly mentioned in the sentence?
Turkish is a pro-drop language, which means the verb conjugation itself indicates the subject. In gönderdim, the -dim ending marks the first person singular, so it is understood that I sent the letter.
How does the phrase posta ofisine indicate direction or destination?
The phrase posta ofisine means to the post office. Here, ofis (office) takes the dative case—indicated by the suffix (appearing as -ine due to vowel and consonant harmony)—which marks it as the destination where the action of going occurs.
What does bir mektup mean, and why is the numeral bir used?
Bir mektup translates as a letter. The word bir means one and functions similarly to the English indefinite article a, specifying that one, unspecified letter was sent. Since Turkish does not have a separate word for an indefinite article, bir is used to convey this meaning.
Can the sentence be rephrased to clarify the sequence of actions? If so, how?
Yes, the sentence can be rephrased to make the sequence more explicit. For example, you could say, Posta ofisine gittikten sonra bir mektup gönderdim, which translates to After going to the post office, I sent a letter. Both forms clearly indicate that sending the letter happened after going to the post office.