Fasulyeyi pişirmeden önce suda bekletmişti.

the water

Breakdown of Fasulyeyi pişirmeden önce suda bekletmişti.

• pişirmek: to cook
• önce: before
• -da: in

Questions & Answers about Fasulyeyi pişirmeden önce suda bekletmişti.

What does the suffix -yi in fasulyeyi indicate?

The suffix -yi is the definite accusative case marker in Turkish. It shows that fasulye (“bean/beans”) is a specific, known object being affected by the verb (i.e., “the beans”).

Why is there a -meden attached to pişir in pişirmeden önce?

The suffix -meden (negative gerund) attaches to the verb stem pişir- (“to cook”) to form an adverbial clause meaning “before cooking.” Literally, pişirmeden önce means “before not cooking,” but idiomatically it is “before cooking.”

How does suda function in this sentence?

Suda is su (“water”) plus the locative case suffix -da, meaning “in water” or “in the water.” It tells us where the beans were left.

What tense and aspect is conveyed by bekletmişti?

Bekletmişti is past perfect (pluperfect). It breaks down as: • beklet- (to let/wait) • -miş (evidential past participle) • -ti (simple past tense) Altogether it means “he/she/it had left (something) waiting.”

Why not just use beklemişti instead of ?