Kiliselerin kubbeleri ve camilerin minareleri şehrin siluetini şekillendirir.

The domes of churches and the minarets of mosques shape the city’s skyline.

Breakdown of Kiliselerin kubbeleri ve camilerin minareleri şehrin siluetini şekillendirir.

• ve: and
• şehir: the city
• şekillendirmek: to shape
• cami: the mosque
• kilise: the church
• kubbe: the dome
• minare: the minaret
• siluet: the skyline

Questions & Answers about Kiliselerin kubbeleri ve camilerin minareleri şehrin siluetini şekillendirir.

What’s happening with the suffixes in kiliselerin kubbeleri and camilerin minareleri?

Both phrases express “the domes of the churches” and “the minarets of the mosques” by using:
• A genitive suffix on the possessor:
– kilise (church) + plural -ler = kiliseler
– kiliseler + genitive -in = kiliselerin (“of the churches”)
– cami (mosque) + -ler + -in = camilerin
• A plural plus 3rd-person possessive on the possessed noun:
– kubbe (dome) + -ler = kubbeler
– kubbeler + possessive -i = kubbeleri (“their domes”)
– minare (minaret) + -ler + -i = minareleri

Why does şehrin siluetini carry both -in and -i? What cases are these?

• şehrin = şehir (city) + genitive -in, marking “of the city.”
• silüetini = silüet (silhouette) + accusative -i, marking a definite direct object (“the silhouette”).
In other words, şehrin shows possession, and silüetini shows that the silhouette is the specific object being shaped.

How can I tell whether -i is the accusative ending or a possessive suffix?

Look at context and neighboring suffixes:
• If the noun before it has a genitive -in, the -i is a 3rd-person possessive (e.g. kubbeler + -i under kiliselerin).
• If it’s directly attached to a noun functioning as the object of a verb, it’s accusative (e.g. silüet + -i with no preceding genitive).

What tense and person is şekillendirir, and what does the -ir convey?

şekillendirir is the 3rd-person singular aorist (simple present/habitual).
• Root: şekillendir- (“to shape”)
• Aorist suffix -ir indicates a general fact or repeated action.
So it means “(they/it) shape(s)” in a broad, habitual sense.

Why is the verb placed at the end instead of in the middle like in English?

Turkish follows an SOV (subject–object–verb) order, so the verb naturally comes last after all subjects and objects.

Why aren’t there any words for “the” or “a” in the sentence?

Turkish has no articles. Definiteness is inferred from context and case endings (the accusative -i often signals a definite object).

Could I use ile instead of ve for “and”?

Yes.
• ve is the straightforward conjunction “and.”
• ile also means “and” or “with,” but is slightly more formal/literary and can fuse with the preceding word (e.g. “kim ile” → “kimle”). In everyday speech, ve is simpler and more common.