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Questions & Answers about Gömleğim hâlâ temiz; pantolonumu ise çamaşır makinesine atmayı düşünüyorum.
What does the suffix -im in gömleğim indicate?
The suffix -im is the 1st person singular possessive ending, meaning my. So gömlek (shirt) + -im = gömleğim (my shirt).
Why is hâlâ written with a circumflex over the â, and does it affect pronunciation or meaning?
The circumflex in hâlâ marks a historically lengthened vowel and distinguishes it from hala (meaning “aunt”). In modern Turkish the pronunciation difference is subtle, and the meaning “still” stays the same.
What role does ise play in this sentence? Can it be translated as “and” or “but”?
ise is a contrastive particle, often translated as “as for” or “on the other hand.” It links two parts by highlighting a contrast. It’s similar in effect to “but,” but grammatically functions as a particle rather than a coordinating conjunction.
Why does pantolonumu end with -u? I thought possessive suffixes come only once.
pantolonumu actually contains two suffixes:
- -um (1st person singular possessive: “my pants”)
- -u (accusative case, because pantolonumu is the direct object of atmak)
Between them, Turkish inserts a buffer y when needed (e.g. atma + yı). Here it’s not visible, but you get pantolon + um + u = pantolonumu.
What is the purpose of -yı in atmayı? Why not just atmak?
When you use an infinitive as the object of düşünmek, you:
- Turn atmak into the noun atma (“the act of throwing”).
- Add the definite object marker -(y)ı → atmayı (“the throwing”). This makes the action specific, which düşünmek requires as its object.
What does the -e in çamaşır makinesine signify?
The -e ending is the dative case marker, meaning “to” or “into.”
So çamaşır makinesi (washing machine) + -ne (dative) = çamaşır makinesine (into the washing machine).
Could I replace the semicolon and ise with ama?
Yes. A more colloquial sentence would be:
Gömleğim hâlâ temiz, ama pantolonumu çamaşır makinesine atmayı düşünüyorum.
Here ama simply means “but,” carrying the same contrasting idea.
How is düşünüyorum constructed?
düşünüyorum breaks down into:
- düşün- (root “think”)
- -üyor (progressive present tense suffix)
- -um (1st person singular ending)
So it literally means “I am thinking.”
Why is hâlâ placed before temiz? Could it appear after?
In Turkish, adverbs like hâlâ generally come before the adjective or verb they modify. Saying temiz hâlâ instead of hâlâ temiz would sound unusual and more poetic or archaic.