Learn Hardcore Turkish: Onun sanatla uğraşması uzun yıllar sürdü.

Onun is the genitive (possessive) form of the third-person pronoun. It marks that the action of “engaging with art” belongs to him or her. Without Onun, the sentence would be generic and wouldn’t specify whose activity lasted for many years.

Why do we see -ması in uğraşması, and what does it do?

The suffix -ma/-me turns the verb uğraşmak (“to engage with, to work on”) into a noun (“engagement, dealing”). Adding the third-person possessive -sı/-si makes uğraşması = “his/her engaging.” So Onun sanatla uğraşması is literally “his/her engaging with art.”

Why is sanatla in the instrumental case (with -la) instead of another case like the dative?

The verb uğraşmak requires its object in the instrumental case when you say “to engage with something.” So sanatla means “with art.” You could not say sanata uğraşmak; it must be sanatla uğraşmak.

What kind of phrase is Onun sanatla uğraşması, and how does it function in the sentence?

It’s a nominalized clause (a noun phrase made from a verb). It functions as the subject of the sentence, meaning “his/her engagement with art.” The whole phrase is what “lasted many years.”

How does the verb sürmek express duration here, and why isn’t it translated as “to drive” or “to carry”?

In Turkish, sürmek has a special meaning “to last” or “to continue for a period.” When you pair it with a time expression, it means “to take (time).” So here it doesn’t mean “drive” or “carry,” but “lasted.”

Why is uzun yıllar in the plain (nominative) form without any suffix, and what does it do?

Time-duration phrases like uzun yıllar (“long years”) can appear in the nominative to indicate how long something lasted. It’s not the subject (that’s the nominalized clause); instead, it’s an adverbial phrase of duration.

Could we say uzun yıllarca sürdü instead of uzun yıllar sürdü? If so, what’s the difference?

Yes. yıllarca is an adverbial noun meaning “for years.” So uzun yıllarca sürdü also means “it lasted for many years.” The nuance is minimal; uzun yıllarca sounds slightly more “adverbial,” while uzun yıllar is a neutral duration phrase.

Is it possible to omit Onun and just say Sanatla uğraşması uzun yıllar sürdü?

You could drop Onun if context already makes the possessor clear, but leaving it out makes the sentence ambiguous or generic. Adding Onun specifies whose art-engagement you’re talking about.

How would you translate this sentence in a more active way into English?

A natural active translation is: “He/She spent many years working on art.” Or: “His/Her work in art lasted for many years.” Both capture the original meaning.