Asansörün bozuk olduğunu öğrendikten sonra merdivenleri kullanmak zorunda kaldım.

(After learning that the elevator was broken, I had to use the stairs.)

Breakdown of Asansörün bozuk olduğunu öğrendikten sonra merdivenleri kullanmak zorunda kaldım.

• olmak: to be
• kullanmak: to use
• öğrenmek: to learn
• zorunda kalmak: to have to
• asansör: the elevator
• bozuk: broken
• -dikten sonra: after
• merdiven: the stairs

Questions & Answers about Asansörün bozuk olduğunu öğrendikten sonra merdivenleri kullanmak zorunda kaldım.

Why is Asansörün in the genitive case?

In Turkish, when you turn a clause into a noun phrase with olmak (to be), the subject of that clause takes the genitive. Here the idea is “the elevator’s being broken,” so asansör becomes asansörün (elevator-GEN). That whole phrase then serves as part of the nominalized clause you learn about.

What role does bozuk olduğunu play in the sentence?

bozuk is the adjective “broken,” and olduğunu is the nominalized form of olmak (to be) with the accusative ending. Together bozuk olduğunu means “that it is broken.” It functions as the content clause (object) of öğrenmek (to learn), so you literally “learn that it is broken.”

How does öğrendikten sonra work? What do -dikten sonra mean?

öğrendikten sonra = “after having learned.”
You take öğren- (to learn), add the verbal noun suffix -dik plus the ablative -ten (yielding öğrendikten), then tack on sonra (“after”). By vowel harmony, front vowels use -dikten (back vowels would use -dıktan). This adverbial phrase tells us the timing: “after I learned.”

Why is merdivenleri in the accusative case?

In Turkish, a direct object that is definite or specific takes the accusative suffix. Here you’re talking about “the stairs” in that building, not just “some stairs,” so merdivenler (stairs) becomes merdivenleri (stairs-ACC). It shows you “used the stairs” as a specific set.

What does kullanmak zorunda kaldım mean, and why is kullanmak the infinitive?

zorunda kalmak is an idiom meaning “to be forced to” or “to have to.” You always pair it with an infinitive:
 • kullanmak = “to use”
 • zorunda = “in the necessity of”
 • kaldım = past tense of “to remain”
So kullanmak zorunda kaldım means “I had to use.”

Is the word order fixed? Could I start with merdivenleri kullanmak zorunda kaldım?

Turkish word order is flexible because cases mark grammatical roles, but the most natural flow is:
 1. Adverbial clause (öğrendikten sonra)
 2. Object (merdivenleri)
 3. Verb phrase (kullanmak zorunda kaldım)
You could rearrange for emphasis, but putting the time clause first is by far the most common pattern.