Breakdown of Bu kurala bir istisna tanınmadıkça herkes aynı şekilde davranmalı.
bu
this
bir
a
herkes
everyone
şekil
the way
kural
the rule
davranmak
to behave
aynı
same
-de
in
-ya
to
istisna
the exception
-madıkça
unless
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Questions & Answers about Bu kurala bir istisna tanınmadıkça herkes aynı şekilde davranmalı.
What does -madıkça in tanınmadıkça mean?
-madıkça is a negative conditional suffix expressing “unless” or “as long as … not.” It attaches to the negative verb stem: tanımadık + ça = tanınmadıkça, so Bu kurala bir istisna tanınmadıkça literally means “unless an exception is granted to this rule.”
Why use -madıkça instead of -mezse?
Both create conditional sentences, but -mezse means “if … not,” while -madıkça emphasizes “as long as … not” or “unless.” The nuance with -madıkça can imply duration: “as long as an exception is not made.” In formal or general rules, -madıkça often feels more natural for “unless.”
Why is bir istisna tanınmadıkça in the passive voice?
Using the passive form tanınmak (instead of active tanımak) lets you focus on the exception being granted—or not—without mentioning who does it. It shifts attention to the fact that no exception is granted, rather than to the agent.
Why is Bu kurala in the dative case?
Even in the passive voice, the original indirect object of tanımak (“to grant”) keeps its dative case -a/-e. So Bu kurala istisna tanınmak means “an exception is granted to this rule.” Hence kurala = “to this rule.”
What function does -malı serve in davranmalı?
The suffix -malı/-meli expresses necessity or obligation, equivalent to “must” or “should.” Thus herkes aynı şekilde davranmalı means “everyone should behave the same way.”
How does aynı şekilde function in this sentence?
aynı means “same,” and şekilde is an adverbial form of şekil (“manner/way”). Together aynı şekilde is an adverbial phrase meaning “in the same way,” modifying davranmalı.
Why is the subject herkes placed after the conditional clause instead of at the very beginning?
In Turkish it’s common to put a subordinate (conditional) clause first, then the main clause with its subject. So [Condition] herkes [Result] is a natural order. You could rearrange for emphasis, but leading with the condition is typical in formal statements.
Do you need a comma before herkes in this sentence?
With suffix-based subordinate clauses like -madıkça, a comma is optional. You may insert one after tanınmadıkça for clarity if the clause is long, but it isn’t required here.
Why is there bir before istisna?
Turkish has no dedicated indefinite article. The word bir often serves that function, turning istisna into “an exception” rather than “the exception.”