Breakdown of Sırf yağmur dinmiyor diye toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum.
istemek
to want
yağmur
the rain
toplantı
the meeting
dinmek
to stop
ertelemek
to postpone
sırf
just
diye
because
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Questions & Answers about Sırf yağmur dinmiyor diye toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum.
What does the pattern “sırf … diye” express here?
It means “just/merely because …” and signals that the reason is not sufficient or not acceptable. So the speaker rejects postponing the meeting on the flimsy ground that the rain isn’t letting up.
Is “diye” here “because” or “so that”?
Here it’s causal: “because/just because.” Turkish diye can also mean “so that/in order that” in purpose clauses (e.g., Geç kalmayayım diye erken çıktım = “I left early so that I wouldn’t be late”), but in this sentence it’s causal.
Can I drop “sırf”? What changes?
You can: Yağmur dinmiyor diye toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum. Without sırf, it can read as plain “because,” but in this specific template “X diye … istemiyorum,” many speakers still hear “just because X.” Adding sırf makes the “only/merely” nuance explicit and avoids ambiguity.
Why is it “dinmiyor” and not another tense like “dinmedi”?
Dinmiyor is present continuous negative: “isn’t stopping/letting up,” describing an ongoing situation. Dinmedi (“hasn’t stopped/didn’t stop”) focuses on a completed interval up to now. Both could work, but dinmiyor is the most natural for an ongoing, current condition.
Could I say “dinmediği için” or “dinmediğinden” instead of “… diye”?
Yes:
- Yağmur dinmediği için/toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum.
- Yağmur dinmediğinden toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum. These are more neutral/formal “because” options. … diye is very common in speech and fits the “just because” framing, especially with sırf.
Are there other verbs besides “dinmek” for rain stopping?
Yes:
- yağmur kesilmiyor (isn’t abating) — close to dinmiyor.
- yağmur durmuyor is understood but less idiomatic for rain; dinmek/kesilmek are preferred.
- You can also say yağmur hafiflemedi / azalmıyor (hasn’t eased/isn’t lessening) for nuance.
Why is “toplantıyı” in the accusative?
Turkish marks definite/specific direct objects with accusative. Toplantıyı = “the meeting (we have in mind).” The speaker is referring to a particular meeting, so accusative is required.
What if I omit the accusative and say “toplantı ertelemek istemiyorum”?
Then it becomes indefinite/generic: “I don’t want to postpone meetings (as a general thing).” For the specific meeting at hand, keep toplantıyı.
Is there a difference between “ertelemek istemiyorum” and “ertelemeyi istemiyorum”?
Both are grammatical.
- … ertelemek istemiyorum is the default and lighter.
- … ertelemeyi istemiyorum treats the act as a noun phrase (“I don’t want the act of postponing”), which can sound more contrastive or deliberate, e.g., Ertelemeyi değil, çevrim içi yapmayı öneriyorum.
How flexible is the word order? Can I move parts around?
Fairly flexible, with shifts in emphasis:
- Sırf yağmur dinmiyor diye toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum. (neutral)
- Toplantıyı sırf yağmur dinmiyor diye ertelemek istemiyorum. (fronts the object for emphasis)
- Toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum, sırf yağmur dinmiyor diye. (afterthought/clarification) Keep the subordinate clause together with diye and the main verb at the end.
Are there other ways to say “because” here?
Yes:
- … için: Yağmur dinmiyor diye/İÇİN toplantıyı ertelemek istemiyorum.
- … -diğinden/–diği için: Yağmur dinmediği için/dinmediğinden …
- … yüzünden / … -den dolayı: Yağmur yüzünden/dinmemesinden dolayı … Nuances: yüzünden/-den dolayı can sound more blame/causation-like; için and -diğinden are neutral; … diye is conversational and fits “just because.”
What’s the nuance difference between “istemiyorum” and “istemem”?
- İstemiyorum (present continuous) = “I don’t want (right now/in this situation).”
- İstemem (aorist) = general stance or polite refusal: “I wouldn’t want/I don’t (as a rule) want.” Either could work depending on context; the given sentence is about the current decision.
What if I say “ertelemiyorum” instead of “ertelemek istemiyorum”?
- … ertelemiyorum = “I am not postponing (it),” a statement about the action itself.
- … ertelemek istemiyorum = “I don’t want to postpone (it),” a statement about intention/desire. Both can be used, but they say slightly different things.
Do I need to say “ben”?
No. İstemiyorum already encodes 1st person singular. You can add Ben for contrast/emphasis: Ben … istemiyorum (“As for me, I don’t want …”).
Should there be a comma before “diye”?
No comma is needed inside Yağmur dinmiyor diye, since diye tightly binds the reason clause to the main clause. A comma after a long fronted reason clause is optional for readability, but not required.