Breakdown of Şehrin ortasındaki hisar, turistlerin mutlaka ziyaret ettiği bir yerdir.
olmak
to be
bir
a
şehir
the city
orta
the middle
-nda
in
mutlaka
definitely
ziyaret etmek
to visit
-in
of
-ki
relative marker
yer
the place
turist
the tourist
-sı
its
hisar
the fortress
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Şehrin ortasındaki hisar, turistlerin mutlaka ziyaret ettiği bir yerdir.
How is Şehrin ortasındaki constructed, and what does each part mean?
Breakdown:
- şehir – city
- -in (genitive) → şehrin – of the city
- orta – middle/center
- -sı (3rd person possessive) → ortası – its center
- -nda (locative) → ortasında – in its center
- -ki (relational suffix) → ortasındaki – that is in its center
Altogether: Şehrin ortasındaki hisar = the fortress that is in the middle of the city.
What does the suffix -deki in ortasındaki express?
The suffix -deki combines:
- -de (locative) – in/on/at
- -ki (relational suffix) – links this location to another noun as a modifier
Pattern: X'daki Y = the Y that is at/in X.
Why is turistlerin in the genitive case?
In Turkish participle-based relative clauses using -DI, the subject of the clause is marked with the genitive case. Here turistlerin (“of the tourists”) marks “tourists” as the subject performing ziyaret ettiği.
How does the relative clause turistlerin mutlaka ziyaret ettiği work, and why is ettiği used instead of a finite tense like ziyaret eder?
- ziyaret etmek is a compound verb meaning to visit (noun ziyaret
- light verb etmek).
- To form a modifier (relative clause) before yer, Turkish uses the past participle -DI with a linking vowel:
et- (stem) + -ti (past tense) + -ği (link) = ettiği - Present progressive -yor cannot form attributive clauses directly.
- Although -DI often suggests past, in these clauses it creates a timeless “that … visit/s.”
Why doesn’t yer take an accusative suffix in ziyaret ettiği bir yer?
As the head of a noun phrase modified by a participle, yer remains unmarked. Accusative -i appears only when the noun functions as a direct object in a finite clause, not as the head of a participial phrase.
What roles do bir and the copula -dir play in bir yerdir?
- bir – indefinite article (a/one)
- -dir – formal copula (is)
Together bir yerdir = it is a place. The copula is common in written or formal Turkish.
Can we omit bir or the copula -dir? What would the sentence look like?
Yes. In colloquial Turkish you can drop -dir and/or bir:
- Şehrin ortasındaki hisar, turistlerin mutlaka ziyaret ettiği yer.
- Şehrin ortasındaki hisar, turistlerin mutlaka ziyaret ettiği bir yer.
Both are natural; with -dir it sounds more formal.
Why does the relative clause come before the noun it modifies, unlike in English?
Turkish is a head-final language: modifiers (adjectives, possessives, relative clauses) precede the head noun. So you say ziyaret ettiği bir yer (a place that [they] visit) rather than putting the clause after yer.
Could we say şehir merkezindeki hisar instead of şehrin ortasındaki hisar, and is there a difference?
- şehir merkezindeki hisar – uses merkez (center) + -deki = the fortress in the city center
- şehrin ortasındaki hisar – literally the fortress in the city’s middle
Both are correct and often interchangeable; merkez feels more formal/administrative, ortası more descriptive.
What does mutlaka mean, and where can adverbs like it be placed in a Turkish sentence?
- mutlaka – definitely, without fail
- Placement: adverbs normally go before the main verb:
• turistlerin mutlaka ziyaret ettiği yer - For emphasis, you can also place mutlaka at the start or before the subject:
• Mutlaka turistler o müzeyi ziyaret eder.