Learn Hardcore Turkish: Ben ve arkadaşım, her hafta sonu parkta piknik yapıp, birlikte geçirdiğimiz zamanı çok kıymetli görüyoruz. - My friend and I value the time we spend together greatly when we have a picnic in the park every weekend.

The –ip suffix is a verbal connective that links two actions together. In this sentence, “piknik yapıp” means “having a picnic” and serves to connect the action of picnicking with the following main clause. It shows that the picnicking happens as part of the overall experience, without needing to repeat the subject.

Why is “görmek” used in “çok kıymetli görüyoruz” to mean “value” instead of “see”?

In Turkish, the idiomatic expression “kıymetli görmek” is used to express the idea of considering something valuable. Although “görmek” literally means “to see,” here it carries the sense of “regarding” or “deeming” something as important. This construction is common in Turkish for expressing appreciation or valuation.

How does the relative clause “birlikte geçirdiğimiz zamanı” function in this sentence?

“Birlikte geçirdiğimiz zamanı” is a relative clause that modifies “zamanı” (time), meaning “the time that we spent together.” In Turkish, relative clauses come before the noun they modify. The word “geçirdiğimiz” combines the past tense marker with a relative suffix to indicate that “we spent” the time, making the connection between the subject and the noun clear within one compact phrase.

What role do the commas play, especially after “Ben ve arkadaşım” and “parkta piknik yapıp”?

The commas serve to clarify the sentence structure. The first comma, appearing right after “Ben ve arkadaşım,” separates the subject from the descriptive or introductory phrases that follow. The second comma, after “parkta piknik yapıp,” sets off the participial phrase from the main clause. This punctuation helps readers see that the actions described in the participial phrase lead into the main statement about how the time together is valued.

How are verb tenses expressed in the sentence, particularly in “geçirdiğimiz” and “görüyoruz”?

In “geçirdiğimiz,” the past tense is indicated by the past marker (–di) combined with a relative clause suffix, showing that “we spent” time together in the past. On the other hand, “görüyoruz” is in the present continuous tense, conveying that the act of valuing the time is an ongoing state. This mix shows that while the shared time occurred previously, the appreciation of that time is continually felt.