Breakdown of Şelaleden kopan su damlaları, güneş ışığıyla buluşunca gökkuşağı renkleri saçar.
su
the water
renk
the color
buluşmak
to meet
-den
from
-yla
with
-unca
when
şelale
the waterfall
kopmak
to break off
damla
the drop
güneş ışığı
the sunlight
gökkuşağı
the rainbow
saçmak
to scatter
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Questions & Answers about Şelaleden kopan su damlaları, güneş ışığıyla buluşunca gökkuşağı renkleri saçar.
What does the suffix -den in Şelaleden indicate?
It’s the ablative case, corresponding to “from” in English. So Şelaleden literally means “from the waterfall.”
What is the role of kopan in Şelaleden kopan su damlaları?
Kopan is a present participle of the verb kopmak (to break off, detach). Here it turns su damlaları into “the water droplets that have broken off (from the waterfall).”
Why does su damlaları end in -ları? Is this the accusative case?
No. The -lar/-ler part is simply the plural suffix (droplets). Turkish nouns in the nominative (subject) don’t take extra case endings unless needed, so su damlaları is just “water droplets” in the plural.
Why is the verb saçar singular when the subject damlaları is plural? Would saçarlar be wrong?
In Turkish, a plural subject can take either a singular or plural verb. Using the singular saçar is perfectly normal and often preferred for stylistic reasons. Saçarlar would also be grammatically correct but might slightly emphasize the plurality.
What cases are güneş ışığıyla and renkleri in, and how are they formed?
• Güneş ışığıyla: the compound güneş ışığı (“sunlight”) + instrumental suffix -yla = “with sunlight.”
• Renkleri: base noun renk (“color”) + plural -ler + accusative -i = “the colors” (direct object of saçar).
What is the function of -ınca in buluşunca?
The suffix -ınca (also -ince) creates a temporal adverbial clause meaning “when” or “once.” So buluşunca = “when they meet” (i.e. meet the sunlight).
Can you break down gökkuşağı into its parts?
Yes. Gökkuşağı (“rainbow”) is a compound of:
• gök = sky
• kuşak = band, belt
• -ı = 3rd-person possessive suffix
Literally “the sky’s band.”
Why is there a comma after su damlaları?
The comma separates the descriptive noun phrase “Şelaleden kopan su damlaları” from the main clause “…güneş ışığıyla buluşunca gökkuşağı renkleri saçar.” It marks a small pause and clarifies where the subject phrase ends and the action begins.