Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bilgisayarım bozulunca, teknik servise telefon ettiğim için çok üzüldüm. - When my computer broke down, I was very upset because I had to call technical service.

Bozulunca is created by taking the root of the verb bozulmak (to break or malfunction) and adding the suffix -unca, which indicates “when” or “as soon as.” In this sentence, it means “when my computer broke,” setting the time frame for the rest of the sentence.

Why is the phrase teknik servise written in the dative case, and what does that indicate?

The word teknik servise uses the dative case (marked by the suffix -e) to show direction or destination. In this context, it specifies that the phone call was directed “to the technical service.” This case is commonly used in Turkish to highlight the recipient or the goal of an action.

What does the construction telefon ettiğim için mean, and how is it structured grammatically?

Telefon ettiğim için translates to “because I called (the technical service).” It is composed of a relative clause telefon ettiğim (meaning “that I called,” with the -diğim suffix forming a past-time relative clause) combined with için, which means “because of” or “due to.” This construction explains the reason for the speaker’s state of being upset.

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

In Turkish, it is common to place subordinate clauses—such as the temporal clause Bilgisayarım bozulunca (when my computer broke) and the causal clause telefon ettiğim için (because I called...)—at the beginning of the sentence. In English, these clauses might appear after the main clause or be restructured entirely. This ordering in Turkish emphasizes the context and reasons before stating the main emotion or outcome.

What tense is used in üzüldüm, and what does it imply within the sentence?

The verb üzüldüm is in the simple past tense, indicating that the feeling of being upset occurred in the past. This past tense aligns with the events described in the temporal clause (the computer breaking) and the causal clause (making the phone call), showing that all these events happened previously.