Elindeki kitap kolunu yordu.

Elindeki kitap kolunu yordu.
The book in your hand wore out your arm.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Turkish now

Questions & Answers about Elindeki kitap kolunu yordu.

What is the literal translation of Elindeki kitap kolunu yordu, and how would you express it naturally in English?

Literally, it reads: “The book in your hand tired your arm.”
A more natural English paraphrase would be:

  • “The book you’re holding wore out your arm.”
  • “Holding that book made your arm tired.”
What does elindeki mean, and how is it built from its parts?

elindeki = the one in your hand. Breakdown:

  • el = hand
  • -in = 2nd person singular possessive (your)
  • -de = locative case (in/at)
  • -ki = attributive suffix turning a locative into an adjective
    So el
    • -in
      • -de
        • -ki → elindeki (“that which is in your hand”).
What role does the -ki suffix play in elindeki, and how does it differ from the conjunction ki?
  • In elindeki, -ki is an attributive suffix that creates an adjective from a locative phrase (“the one in…”).
  • The conjunction ki links clauses (e.g. dedi ki), always follows a full clause and is typically set off by a pause or comma.
    They sound the same but function differently: attributive -ki attaches to noun phrases, conjunction ki attaches to clauses.
Why does kitap have no suffix here? Is it the subject or the object?
kitap (“book”) is the head noun of the subject phrase elindeki kitap. In Turkish, subjects appear in the nominative case, which has no overt marker (zero case). Hence kitap remains bare.
How is kolunu formed, and what is its grammatical role?

kolunu = your arm as a definite direct object.

  • kol = arm
  • -un = 2nd person singular possessive (your)
  • -u = accusative case marker (marks a definite object)
    So kol
    • -un
      • -u → kolunu, “(your) arm” receiving the action of yordu.
Why is the verb yordu placed at the end, and what is its dictionary form?
Turkish follows subject-object-verb (SOV) word order, so the verb comes last. yordu is the 3rd person singular past tense of yormak (“to tire [someone]”).
How do vowel harmony and consonant voicing rules produce yordu (and not yortu or yortu)?
  • The past tense suffix is -DI with four variants: -dı, -di, -du, -dü, chosen by vowel harmony.
  • The stem yor- has the vowel o (a back rounded vowel), so we select -du.
  • Since r is a voiced consonant, the suffix remains d (not devoiced to t).
    Thus yor- + ‑du → yordu.
How would you say “the book in my hand” or “the book in his/her hand” in Turkish?
  • the book in my hand: elimdeki kitap
    ( el
    • -im = my + -de = in + -ki )
  • the book in his/her hand: onun elindeki kitap
    (use onun for clarity; otherwise elindeki alone could be misread as “your hand”)
Can you express “the book in your hand” without using the attributive -ki suffix?

Yes. Use a relative clause with olan (“that is”):
senin elinde olan kitap
(literally “the book that is in your hand”)

What is the difference between kolunu yordu and kolun yoruldu?
  • kolunu yordu: active/causative structure – “he/it tired your arm.” (focus on the agent, the book)
  • kolun yoruldu: intransitive/passive-like – “your arm got tired.” (focus on the arm’s state)
Could you break down the entire sentence Elindeki kitap kolunu yordu into its roots and suffixes?

Sure:

  • el-in-de-ki = el (hand) + -in (your) + -de (in) + -ki (that-which-is)
  • kitap = book (subject, nominative)
  • kol-un-u = kol (arm) + -un (your) + -u (accusative)
  • yor-du = yor (tire) + -du (3sg past)