Learn Hardcore Turkish: Zor anlarda, kaderimizi kabullenmek büyük bir erdemdir. - In difficult times, accepting our fate is a great virtue.

“Zor anlarda” translates to “in difficult times.” Here, “zor” means “difficult,” and “anlarda” comes from “an” (meaning “moment” or “time”) with the locative plural suffix “-larda,” which indicates a time or situational context.

How is possession expressed in the word “kaderimizi”?

The word “kader” means “fate” or “destiny.” The suffix “-imiz” is added to show first-person plural possession (i.e., “our”), and with the accusative ending merged into it, it becomes “kaderimizi.” This structure indicates that the fate being referred to belongs to us.

Why is the infinitive form “kabullenmek” used instead of a conjugated verb?

In this sentence, “kabullenmek” (meaning “to accept”) is used in its infinitive form to act as a noun—a common Turkish structure when expressing abstract concepts or actions. Here, the entire phrase “kaderimizi kabullenmek” functions as the subject, much like using a gerund (e.g., “accepting our fate”) in English.

What is the function of the phrase “büyük bir erdemdir” in the sentence?

The phrase “büyük bir erdemdir” serves as the predicate. “Büyük” means “great,” “bir” translates to “a,” and “erdem” means “virtue.” The suffix “-dir” is a formal copula equivalent to the English “is.” Together, they declare that “accepting our fate” is “a great virtue.”

How does the word order in this Turkish sentence compare to typical English sentence structure?

Turkish sentences commonly follow a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order and often place temporal or contextual modifiers at the beginning. In this sentence, “Zor anlarda” (in difficult times) comes first, followed by the subject in the form of an infinitive phrase “kaderimizi kabullenmek,” and finally the predicate “büyük bir erdemdir.” In English, the sentence might be rearranged as “Accepting our fate is a great virtue in difficult times,” which shows a different placement for the time modifier.