Learn Hardcore Turkish: Onun cömert yaklaşımı, herkesin takdirini kazandı. - His generous attitude won everyone’s admiration.

Onun means “his” or “her.” It indicates possession, showing that the noun which follows—cömert yaklaşımı (“generous approach”)—belongs to that person.

Why is there a possessive suffix attached to yaklaşım when onun already indicates possession?

Turkish often uses double marking of possession. While onun clearly means “his/her,” the suffix -ı on yaklaşım reinforces that ownership. This redundancy is common and can add clarity or emphasis to the sentence.

How is the phrase herkesin takdirini structured to express “everyone’s appreciation”?

The structure involves a two-part possessive construction. Herkesin is the genitive form of herkes, meaning “everyone’s.” Then, takdirini combines the base noun takdir (“appreciation”) with a third-person singular possessive suffix and an accusative case marker. This form shows that “appreciation” (as the object being earned) belongs to everyone.

What role does the verb kazandı play, and how is it formed?

Kazandı is the past tense, third-person singular form of kazanmak, which means “to earn,” “to win,” or “to gain.” Here, it indicates that the generous approach successfully earned or won the appreciation. The suffix -dı (adjusted as -dı/dı/du/dü according to vowel harmony) marks the simple past tense.

What is the word order in this sentence, and what does it tell us about Turkish syntax?

The sentence follows the typical Turkish Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. Onun cömert yaklaşımı is the subject, herkesin takdirini is the object, and kazandı is the verb. The comma after the subject phrase is used for clarity, though it’s not mandatory.

Why do the suffix vowels in words like yaklaşımı and takdirini change, and what is vowel harmony?

Turkish employs vowel harmony, meaning vowels in suffixes adjust to match the vowels of the root word for a smoother, more natural sound. In yaklaşımı and takdirini, the vowels in the suffixes change according to the vowels in yaklaşım and takdir, ensuring the sentence flows well phonetically.