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Breakdown of Tırnak içinde aktarılan cümleleri okurken ses tonumu değiştirdim.
benim
my
okumak
to read
değiştirmek
to change
-ken
while
içinde
in
tırnak
quotation mark
aktarılan
quoted
cümle
sentence
ses tonu
tone of voice
Questions & Answers about Tırnak içinde aktarılan cümleleri okurken ses tonumu değiştirdim.
What does tırnak içinde mean, and how can tırnak refer to quotation marks?
- Tırnak literally means nail, but in printing and writing contexts it’s the term for a quotation mark.
- Tırnak içinde = in quotation marks (in quotes).
- You will sometimes see tırnak işareti(leri) içinde, where işaret means mark, but native speakers often drop işareti and say simply tırnak içinde.
Why is aktarılan used here, and what does that participle form express?
- Aktarılan comes from aktarmak (to convey, to quote) + the passive participle suffix -(ı)n.
- It means “that is conveyed/quoted.”
- In tırnak içinde aktarılan cümleler, it modifies cümleler, so you get “the sentences that are quoted (inside quotation marks).”
Why does cümleleri have both -ler and -i at the end?
- Cümle (sentence) + -ler = cümleler (sentences, plural).
- Because these sentences are a definite direct object, you add the accusative suffix -i = cümleleri (“the sentences”).
- Structure: cümle + -ler (plural) + -i (accusative).
What does okurken mean, and how is it formed?
- Okurken is an adverbial participle meaning “while reading.”
- Formation: oku- (verb root “to read”) + -r (present-tense marker) + -ken (conjunction for “while”) = okur + ken → okurken.
- It indicates a simultaneous action relative to the main verb.
In ses tonumu değiştirdim, why do we see -um and then -u on tonu?
- Ses tonu = “voice tone.”
- First-person singular possessive: ton + um = tonum (“my tone”).
- As the object of the transitive verb değiştirmek, you add the accusative -u: tonum + u = tonumu (“my tone” as the thing changed).
Why is değiştirdim used instead of değiştim, and what’s the difference between değiştirmek and değişmek?
- Değiştirmek is transitive: “to change something.”
- Değiştirdim (1st person singular past) = “I changed it.”
- Değişmek is intransitive: “to change/become different.”
- If you said ses tonum değişti, it would mean “my tone changed” (it changed of its own accord).
How is the word order arranged in this sentence?
- Turkish is generally S-O-V, but here a temporal clause comes first:
• Tırnak içinde aktarılan cümleleri okurken (while reading the quoted sentences) - The main clause follows:
• ses tonumu değiştirdim (I changed my tone).
Could you shorten tırnak içinde aktarılan to tırnak içindeki?
- Yes. Using the adjectival -ki suffix you get tırnak içindeki cümleleri = “the sentences inside the quotation marks.”
- Full sentence: Tırnak içindeki cümleleri okurken ses tonumu değiştirdim with identical meaning.
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