Learn Hardcore Turkish: Şehir simgesi olarak seçilen heykel, meydanda uzun süre duracak. - The statue chosen as the city’s symbol will stand in the square for a long time.

Olarak means “as” and marks the role or capacity of something. In şehir simgesi olarak, it literally means “as the city’s symbol.” You attach olarak to a noun or noun phrase whenever you want to say “as [that noun].”

What does seçilen mean and how is it formed?

Seçilen is the passive past participle of seçmek (“to choose”). It describes something “that was chosen.” Morphologically, you take the verb root seç-, add the passive marker -il- (which often drops its vowel), and then the participle ending -en, yielding seçilen: “chosen.”

Why does the participle seçilen come before the noun heykel rather than after it?

In Turkish, verbal adjectives (participles) always precede the noun they modify. So seçilen heykel means “the statue that was chosen.” English relative clauses follow the noun (“the statue that was chosen”), but Turkish uses seçilen + heykel.

Why is there a comma after heykel?

The comma separates the noun phrase şehir simgesi olarak seçilen heykel (the subject) from the main clause meydanda uzun süre duracak (the predicate). In written Turkish, long or complex noun phrases—especially those with participles—are often set off with a comma for clarity.

Why is meydanda (locative case) used instead of meydana (dative case)?

The verb durmak (“to stand; to remain standing”) requires the locative case for the place where something stands. So you say meydanda durmak (“to stand in the square”). The dative meydana would mean “toward the square,” which doesn’t fit with the meaning of “standing” somewhere.

What is the tense of duracak, and what role does uzun süre play?

Duracak is the simple future tense of durmak (“will stand”). The phrase uzun süre (“a long time”) is an adverbial modifier indicating duration, so uzun süre duracak means “will stand for a long time.”

What’s the difference between simge and sembol?

Both mean “symbol,” but simge is native Turkish and more common in everyday use or literary contexts. Sembol comes from French and is also correct, especially in technical or formal settings. In most cases they’re interchangeable.

Could we use kalmak instead of durmak here?

You could say meydanda uzun süre kalacak (“will stay in the square for a long time”), which emphasizes “remaining” there. Duracak focuses on the statue actually “standing” upright. Both are grammatically correct, but each verb highlights a slightly different nuance.