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Questions & Answers about Ben fiyatları düşürüyorum.
Why is Ben included in the sentence? Can I omit it?
In Turkish, subject pronouns like Ben (I) are usually optional because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.
- Ben is included here for emphasis or clarity (“I, specifically, am lowering the prices”).
- You can safely drop it in everyday speech: Fiyatları düşürüyorum.
What does fiyatları mean, and why does it have the ending -ları?
- fiyat = price
- -lar = plural marker → fiyatlar = prices
- -ı = definite accusative (marks a specific direct object)
So fiyatları literally means “the prices” as a definite, plural object of the verb.
Why is it fiyatları and not just fiyatlar or fiyatı?
- fiyatlar (no -ı) would be plural but indefinite—“(some) prices.”
- fiyatı (singular + accusative) means “the price.”
Because you’re talking about specific prices in plural, you need both -lar (plural) and -ı (definite object), giving fiyatları.
What tense/aspect is expressed by düşürüyorum?
It’s the present‐continuous (progressive) tense. The marker -iyor (in its harmonized form -uyor) plus the personal ending -um shows “I am doing X right now.”
Can you break down düşürüyorum into its parts?
Yes. It consists of:
- düş- (root meaning “to fall”)
- -ür- (causative suffix “make/let something fall” → “to lower/drop”)
- -üyor- (progressive suffix, present‐continuous)
- -um (1st person singular ending)
Together: düş-ür-üyor-um → “I am lowering.”
Why can’t I just say düşüyorum for “I am lowering”?
- düş-üyor-um without the causative would mean “I am falling.”
- To express “I am lowering (something),” you must use the causative -ür-, turning “to fall” into “to make fall” (i.e. to lower/drop).
How does vowel harmony affect düşürüyorum?
Turkish vowels must harmonize in front/back and rounded/unrounded pairs.
- The root düş- has a front-rounded vowel ü, so the causative uses -ür- (not -ır/-ur/-ar).
- The progressive ends up as -üyor- (front-rounded) rather than -ıyor/-uyor.
All suffix vowels match the root’s front-rounded quality.
If I wanted to say “I habitually lower prices,” how would that change?
You’d use the aorist (simple present) instead of the progressive:
Fiyatları düşürürüm.
This means “I lower the prices (as a general practice).”