Learn Hardcore Turkish: Öğrenciler, projeyi başarıyla tamamladıklarını düşünüp, öğretmenlerine “Bunun sayesinde geleceğe emin adımlarla yürüyeceğiz,” diye umutla söylediler. - The students, thinking they had successfully completed the project, told their teacher with hope, “Thanks to this, we will walk confidently into the future.”

Tamamladıklarını is a nominalized relative clause derived from the verb tamamlamak (to complete). The suffix -dıklarını turns the clause into something equivalent to “that they had completed”. In this context, it indicates that the students believed they had successfully finished the project.

What is the function of düşünüp in this sentence?

Düşünüp is the gerund (or converb) form of the verb düşünmek (to think), and it connects two actions. It tells us that while the students were thinking (specifically, that they had completed the project), they simultaneously proceeded to speak to their teachers. Essentially, it acts like saying “thinking and…” in English.

How does Turkish mark reported speech in this sentence, particularly with the use of diye?

In Turkish, diye is used to link a quote or a reported thought to the reporting verb. Here, it follows the direct quotation “Bunun sayesinde geleceğe emin adımlarla yürüyeceğiz,” and connects it to söylediler (they said). It functions much like the phrase “saying that” in English, indicating that what follows is the exact or a paraphrased statement of the speaker.

What role does the adverb başarıyla play in the sentence?

Başarıyla means “successfully” and serves as an adverb modifying the action described by tamamladıklarını. It explains the manner in which the project was completed, emphasizing that it was done successfully. This demonstrates how Turkish often places adverbs close to the verb they modify.

Can you explain how the case suffixes work for projeyi, öğrenciler, and öğretmenlerine?

Certainly. Projeyi carries the accusative case marker, indicating that it is the direct object (the project that was completed). Öğrenciler is in the nominative case, marking it as the subject of the sentence (the students). Meanwhile, öğretmenlerine uses the dative case suffix, showing that the teachers are the recipients of the students’ hopeful statement. This clear mapping of roles is typical in Turkish grammar through suffixation.

Why is the future tense used in yürüyeceğiz even though the preceding part refers to a completed action?

Yürüyeceğiz is in the future tense, meaning “we will walk”. While the earlier clause (regarding the project’s successful completion) is in the past, the future tense here expresses the students’ hopeful outlook on what lies ahead. It illustrates how achieving something in the past can inspire confidence and plans for the future, which is why the hopeful statement to the teachers is framed in the future tense.