Breakdown of Kavşağa araba ile gitmek yerine bisiklet ile gidiyorum.
gitmek
to go
bisiklet
the bicycle
ile
with
yerine
instead of
Questions & Answers about Kavşağa araba ile gitmek yerine bisiklet ile gidiyorum.
Why does Kavşağa end with -a?
In Turkish, movement toward a place is marked by the dative case suffix -a/-e. Here kavşak (intersection) takes -a to show “to the intersection,” so Kavşağa means “to the intersection.”
What function does ile serve in araba ile gitmek?
ile is an instrumental postposition meaning “with” or “by means of.” In araba ile gitmek, it marks your means of transportation: “to go by car.”
Can I attach -le/-la to araba and bisiklet instead of using ile separately?
Yes. Turkish allows you to attach the suffix -le/-la (with a buffer y if needed) for the same meaning.
• arabayla = araba ile (“by car”)
• bisikletle = bisiklet ile (“by bike”)
The suffixed form is more colloquial; the separate ile feels slightly more formal or written.
Why do we see gitmek (infinitive) in the first clause but gidiyorum (1st person present continuous) in the second?