Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sanata olan ihtirasım her gün artıyor.

Sanata is formed from the noun sanat (meaning art) with the dative suffix -a attached. In Turkish, the dative case is commonly used to indicate direction or a target of interest. Here, it shows that the passion is directed toward art—thus, it translates as “for art.”

What role does olan play in this sentence?

Olan is a participial form derived from the verb olmak (to be). It links sanata to ihtirasım, modifying the noun to specify which passion is being discussed. Essentially, it transforms the phrase to mean “my passion that is for art,” making it equivalent to “my passion for art” in English.

How is ihtirasım constructed, and what does it signify?

Ihtirasım comes from the noun ihtiras (meaning passion or ardor) combined with the first-person possessive suffix -ım, which means “my.” Therefore, ihtirasım translates directly to “my passion.”

How is the verb artıyor conjugated, and which tense does it express?

Artıyor is the third-person singular form of the verb artmak (to increase) in the present continuous tense. This tense indicates an ongoing process—here, implying that the speaker’s passion is gradually increasing every day.

Why does Turkish use the pre-modifying phrase "Sanata olan" instead of a post-nominal structure common in English?

In Turkish, adjectives and modifying clauses typically come before the nouns they modify. The phrase "Sanata olan" is placed before ihtirasım to precisely describe which passion is being referred to. This construction contrasts with English, where we might use a post-nominal prepositional phrase (e.g., “my passion for art”), highlighting a key difference in word order between the two languages.