Question 1

Why is kazmayla used and how is the instrumental case formed?

Accepted Answer

Kazmayla means “with a pickaxe.” Turkish expresses “with” (instrumental) by adding -le/-la (or -yle/-yla after vowels) to a noun. Since kazma ends in a vowel, we insert a buffer y and use -la, giving kazma-y-la → kazmayla.

Question 2

What does the suffix -ken in kazarken do?

Accepted Answer

The suffix -ken attaches to a verb stem to mean “while doing [verb].”  
kaz-ar-ken = “while digging.” It turns the action into a dependent clause, so kazarken = “while digging.”

Question 3

Why do we say derin bir kuyu and not bir derin kuyu?

Accepted Answer

In Turkish, a numeral or indefinite article bir can come immediately before the noun or between an adjective and the noun. The usual, natural order is:  
adjective + bir + noun → derin bir kuyu (“a deep well”).

Question 4

Is kuyu definite or indefinite, and how is that marked?

Accepted Answer

Kuyu here is indefinite (“a well”). Turkish marks indefiniteness either with bir before the noun or with the suffix -ı/-i on the noun. In this sentence, the indefiniteness is signaled by bir.

Question 5

Why is only çuvala marked for case in saman ve çuvala ihtiyaç duyduk?

Accepted Answer

When two or more nouns share the same case, Turkish often marks that case only on the last noun. Here both saman (“straw”) and çuval (“sack”) are objects of ihtiyaç duymak, which takes the dative. So you see çuval-a, and saman remains unmarked.

Question 6

What case is çuvala and why does ihtiyaç duyduk require it?

Accepted Answer

Çuvala is dative case (–a) meaning “to/for the sack.” The verb phrase ihtiyaç duymak (“to need”) in Turkish takes its object in the dative:  
–a/–e + ihtiyaç duymak → “to feel a need for …,” hence çuvala ihtiyaç duyduk = “we needed the sack.”

Question 7

Why is the subject not explicitly stated before ihtiyaç duyduk?

Accepted Answer

Turkish is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns (ben, sen, biz, etc.) are often omitted because verb endings (–duk here) already show person and number. Duyduk ends in -duk, indicating “we” in past tense, so “we” is understood.

Question 8

Why is there a y between kazma and -la?

Accepted Answer

When a noun ends in a vowel and you attach a consonant-initial suffix, Turkish inserts a buffer consonant—y after a/e/ı/i, or n after o/u/ö/ü—to make pronunciation smoother. Hence kazma + y + la.

Question 9

Could we use ile instead of -yla in kazmayla?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  kazmayla = kazma ile. Both mean “with a pickaxe.” The suffix -le/-la is simply the clitic form of ile, more colloquial and attached directly to the noun.

Question 10

What are the components of ihtiyaç duyduk?

Accepted Answer

ihtiyaç is a noun meaning “need,” and duyduk is the 1st-person-plural past of duymak (“to feel/hear”). Together, ihtiyaç duymak is an idiomatic compound meaning “to need.” In past tense, “we needed” → ihtiyaç duyduk.

Kazmayla derin bir kuyu kazarken saman ve çuvala ihtiyaç duyduk.

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