Breakdown of Cadde boyunca yürürken zemin kaygan olabilir.
olmak
to be
yürümek
to walk
boyunca
along
-ken
while
zemin
the ground
kaygan
slippery
-ebil
can
cadde
the avenue
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Questions & Answers about Cadde boyunca yürürken zemin kaygan olabilir.
What does boyunca mean in this context?
Boyunca is a postposition meaning “along” or “throughout the length of,” indicating movement along something (here, the avenue).
Why don’t we say caddenin boyunca instead of cadde boyunca?
Boyunca attaches to a noun in its unmarked form. You do not add a genitive -in before boyunca, so it’s simply cadde boyunca, not caddenin boyunca.
What’s the difference between Cadde boyunca yürürken and Caddede yürürken?
Cadde boyunca yürürken means “while walking along the avenue” (covering its length).
Caddede yürürken means “while walking on the avenue” (being on it, not necessarily going its full length).
How is yürürken formed and what does -ken indicate?
Yürürken = yürü- (verb stem “to walk”) + -r (simple present suffix) + -ken (conjunctionial suffix meaning “while”). So yürürken means “while walking.”
Why do we use yürürken instead of yürüyorken?
In Turkish temporal clauses with -ken, you normally use the simple present stem (yürür-) plus -ken, not the progressive -yor form.
Why is there no personal ending on yürürken?
The subject of the -ken clause is the same as in the main clause. Turkish allows omitting the personal ending in the -ken clause because the subject (“you,” “one,” or “people in general”) is understood from olabilir.
What does zemin mean and how does it differ from yer?
Zemin means “ground surface,” “floor,” or “pavement,” emphasizing a solid walking surface.
Yer is more general, meaning “place,” “ground,” or “area.”
What role does kaygan play in the sentence?
Kaygan is an adjective meaning “slippery.” It functions as the predicate adjective describing zemin, so zemin kaygan = “the ground is slippery.”
How is olabilir formed and why is it used here?
Olab is the stem of olmak (“to be/become”), -abil- is the potential suffix (“can/may”), and -ir is the aorist suffix. Combined, olabilir means “it can be” or “it may be.” It expresses possibility (“the ground might be slippery”) rather than certainty.