Breakdown of Herhangi bir istisna tanınmadıkça kural aynı şekilde uygulanır.
bir
a
kural
the rule
aynı
same
-de
in
şekil
the manner
istisna
the exception
-madıkça
unless
herhangi
any
tanınmak
to be granted
uygulanmak
to be applied
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Questions & Answers about Herhangi bir istisna tanınmadıkça kural aynı şekilde uygulanır.
What does herhangi bir mean in Turkish, and why do we need bir?
herhangi means “any” in a non-specific sense. When it modifies a countable noun, Turkish requires the indefinite article bir, so herhangi bir istisna literally ‘any exception’. Without bir, herhangi can’t directly precede a noun.
What does the suffix -madıkça add to tanınmadıkça?
The suffix -dıkça, combined with the negative marker -ma, forms -madıkça, which means “as long as … not” or “unless.” So tanınmadıkça literally ‘as long as it is not recognized/granted,’ i.e. “unless (an exception) is granted.”
Why is tanınmak in the passive voice here, and how is that formed?
We focus on the exception being granted rather than who grants it, so we use the passive. In Turkish, the passive is formed by adding -n- (or -l-) to the verb stem. Thus tanımak → tanınmak (“to be recognized/granted”), then negative + conditional suffix: tanın-ma-dıkça.
Does tanımak here mean “to know”?
While tanımak can mean “to know (a person)” or “to recognize,” in legal/formal contexts istisna tanımak means “to grant/allow an exception.” So tanınmadıkça here = “unless an exception is granted.”
Could we use tanınmazsa instead of tanınmadıkça, and what’s the difference?
Yes. tanınmazsa (“if it is not granted/recognized”) is grammatically correct. However, -madıkça emphasizes an ongoing condition (“unless …”), while -mezse (tanınmazsa) is a simple conditional “if not.” -madıkça often sounds more formal or general.
Why is the main verb uygulanır in the aorist (simple present) tense?
The aorist (-Ir) expresses general truths, habits, or universal facts in Turkish. uygulanır (“is applied”) indicates that, as a general rule, whenever no exception is granted, the rule applies in the same way.
How is the sentence structured, and is this word order fixed?
It’s a complex sentence with:
1) A subordinate -dıkça condition clause first: Herhangi bir istisna tanınmadıkça (“Unless any exception is granted”)
2) The main clause: kural aynı şekilde uygulanır (“the rule is applied in the same way”).
Turkish typically puts verbs last, but you can reorder subject, adverbials, etc., for emphasis. The neutral sequence is subject (kural), adverbial (aynı şekilde), verb (uygulanır).
Why is aynı şekilde placed between kural and uygulanır? Can adverbials move?
aynı şekilde (“in the same way”) is an adverbial phrase modifying uygulanır, so it precedes the verb. Turkish word order is flexible: you could move aynı şekilde before the subject or even to the very end for subtle emphasis shifts, but the standard neutral position is right before the verb.