Breakdown of Çatı katında sıcak hava birikince pencereleri açıyoruz.
sıcak
hot
açmak
to open
birikmek
to accumulate
hava
the air
pencere
the window
-ince
when
-de
in
çatı katı
the attic
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Questions & Answers about Çatı katında sıcak hava birikince pencereleri açıyoruz.
What is the function of the suffix -nda (shown as -ında) in çatı katında?
The -nda/-nde suffix is the locative case, marking “in,” “on,” or “at.” Here çatı katı (“attic”) plus -nda gives çatı katında, meaning “in the attic.”
Why does çatı katı take -ında instead of just -da or -te?
Two reasons:
1) Vowel harmony: katı ends in ı, so the locative is -nda (not -de).
2) Epenthetic n: Because katı ends in a vowel, an n is inserted to avoid a vowel cluster, yielding -ında.
What does the ending -ince in birikince do?
The suffix -ince creates an adverbial (time) clause meaning “when/once/as soon as.” Attaching it to the verb root birik- (“to accumulate”) gives birikince = “when (it) accumulates.”
Why is pencereleri both plural and ending in -i?
First, pencereler is the plural of pencere (“window”). Then Turkish adds the accusative case suffix -i to mark a definite object. Plural pencereler + accusative -i → pencereleri, “the windows.”
Where is the subject in açıyoruz, and why isn’t biz (“we”) written?
Turkish is a pro-drop language: the verb ending -yoruz already signals 1st person plural (“we”). You don’t need to write biz unless you want extra emphasis.
Why is the verb açıyoruz in the present continuous rather than the simple habitual (aorist) form?
In Turkish the present continuous (-iyor) often conveys habitual or repeated actions. Here it means “we open the windows (whenever that happens).” It’s equivalent to a habitual sense (“we open”) rather than a single ongoing act.
Could you rewrite the time clause with -dıktan sonra instead of -ince? What’s the difference?
Yes:
sıcak hava biriktikten sonra pencereleri açıyoruz.
Both mean “after/once the hot air accumulates, we open the windows.”
-ince feels more immediate (“as soon as”), while -dıktan sonra is a bit more formal or “after that.”
Is çatı katında sıcak hava birikince one clause? Can you place it elsewhere in the sentence?
It’s a subordinate time clause (“when hot air accumulates in the attic”). In Turkish, such clauses typically precede the main clause (pencereleri açıyoruz). Technically you can place it later, but you’ll sound unusual and may need intonation changes to keep clarity.
Why doesn’t Turkish use an article like the before çatı katında or pencereleri?
Turkish has no definite or indefinite articles. Definiteness is shown by context and, for objects, by the accusative case. Here -i on pencereleri tells you “the windows,” and context tells you we’re talking about the attic’s windows.