……
Breakdown of Artan trafik, işe geç kalmama neden oldu.
benim
my
geç kalmak
to be late
trafik
the traffic
-e
to
-a
to
iş
the work
neden olmak
to cause
artan
increasing
Questions & Answers about Artan trafik, işe geç kalmama neden oldu.
What does artan mean in the sentence?
Artan is derived from the verb artmak, which means "to increase." In this sentence, it acts as an adjective describing trafik, so artan trafik translates to "increasing traffic."
How is the phrase "işe geç kalmama" constructed and what does it mean?
The phrase breaks down as follows: "işe" is the noun iş (meaning "work") in the dative case (indicating "to work"), "geç kalmak" is the idiomatic expression for "to be late," and the ending "-ma" nominalizes the verb to form "being late." Adding the possessive suffix "-m" turns it into "my being late." Altogether, "işe geç kalmama" means "my being late for work."
What role does the phrase "neden oldu" play in the sentence?
Neden oldu translates to "caused" or literally "became the reason for." It links the cause (increasing traffic) to the effect (being late for work), indicating a cause-and-effect relationship. The past form "oldu" shows that the event has already happened.
Why is there a comma after "Artan trafik"?
Turkish often uses commas to separate distinct parts of a sentence. In this case, the comma after "Artan trafik" serves to set off the cause (increasing traffic) from the effect (being late for work), thereby clarifying the sentence structure.
How is the dative case used in this sentence?
The dative case is evident in "işe." Here, the noun "iş" (work) takes the dative ending -e (adjusting to işe due to vowel harmony), which indicates direction or purpose—in this case, "to work."
What is the function of the nominalizing suffix in "geç kalmama"?
The verb "geç kalmak" (to be late) is turned into a noun phrase by using the nominalizer "-ma/-me." This process creates the noun "geç kalma" (the act of being late). When the first-person possessive suffix "-m" is added, it specifies whose lateness it is, resulting in "kalmama," meaning "my being late."
How does the Turkish sentence structure differ from typical English sentence structure?
Turkish generally follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) order. In this sentence, the cause (artan trafik) is presented first, the effect (işe geç kalmama) follows, and the verb (neden oldu) comes at the end. This ordering contrasts with the English structure, which often follows a subject-verb-object pattern, such as "Increasing traffic caused me to be late for work."
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Turkish grammar?”
Turkish grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning TurkishMaster Turkish — from Artan trafik, işe geç kalmama neden oldu to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions