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Questions & Answers about Bugün telaş yapmayalım, işleri sakin sakin bitirelim.
What does the ending -alım/-elim express here?
It’s the 1st person plural optative/imperative: the inclusive let’s. It proposes a joint action, not a command to others.
- yapmayalım = let’s not do/make (something)
- bitirelim = let’s finish Formally, the suffix is -Alım with vowel harmony:
- Back vowels before it → -alım
- Front vowels before it → -elim
Why is there a y in yapmayalım?
It’s a buffer consonant to avoid two vowels colliding. Morphology: yap + ma + y + alım.
- ma is the negative marker.
- alım is the optative suffix.
- The buffer y is inserted between ma and alım.
Why is işleri marked with -i (accusative)? Could it be just işler or iş?
The -i marks a definite direct object. İşleri implies a specific, known set of tasks.
- İşleri bitirelim = let’s finish the tasks (we both know which).
- İş bitirelim = let’s get some work done (indefinite, more general).
- İşlerimizi bitirelim = let’s finish our tasks (adds possessive, explicit but not necessary if context makes it obvious). Using bare plural işler as a direct object is unusual; indefinite objects typically appear without the accusative and often in singular mass sense (iş).
What does sakin sakin mean and why is it repeated?
It’s a reduplication for an adverbial, gentle emphasis: “calmly, nice and calm.” Repeating adjectives/adverbs like this is common in Turkish (e.g., yavaş yavaş, usul usul) to convey manner and mood. You could also say sakince; sakin sakin feels a bit more vivid/soothing.
Is there a difference between telaş yapmak, telaşlanmak, and acele etmek?
Yes, nuance differs:
- telaş yapmak: to fuss/act flustered; a common colloquial collocation.
- telaşlanmak: to become anxious/flustered (a change of state, more about the internal feeling).
- acele etmek: to hurry/rush (focus on speed, not necessarily panic). So replacing telaş yapmayalım with acele etmeyelim shifts the meaning from “don’t fuss” to “don’t hurry.”
Could I say panik yapmayalım or paniklemeyelim instead?
Both exist, with slightly different flavor:
- panik yapmayalım: colloquial; widely used in speech.
- paniklemeyelim: standard verb; “let’s not panic.” They feel stronger than telaş yapmayalım, which is milder.
Why is it bitirelim and not bitiririz?
- bitirelim (optative) proposes a joint plan: let’s finish.
- bitiririz (aorist/simple present) often sounds like a prediction or promise: we’ll finish/we can finish. For making a suggestion, -elim/-alım is the natural choice.
Can I move sakin sakin or işleri around? How flexible is the word order?
Pretty flexible, with subtle emphasis shifts:
- İşleri sakin sakin bitirelim (neutral, focuses on how we finish the tasks).
- Sakin sakin işleri bitirelim (slightly more emphasis on the calm manner upfront).
- Bugün can also move: Telaş yapmayalım bugün, with a gentle afterthought tone. The original order is the most neutral.
Would it be okay to link the clauses with ve instead of a comma?
Yes: Bugün telaş yapmayalım ve işleri sakin sakin bitirelim. The comma is very natural in Turkish for linking two coordinated suggestions; ve is fine but a bit more explicit.
How polite or strong is this? Is it a command?
The inclusive -alım/-elim is a soft, collaborative suggestion rather than a command. It’s polite and suitable for peers or a team. To make it even more tentative, you can use the question particle:
- Bugün telaş yapmayalım mı, işleri sakin sakin bitirelim mi? Or the conditional for a deferential tone:
- Bugün telaş yapmasak, işleri sakin sakin bitirsek?
Is telaş etmek also possible?
It’s attested but much less common/natural than telaşlanmak or telaş yapmak. In everyday speech, you’ll most often hear telaş yapma/yapmayalım or telaşlanma/telaşlanmayalım.
Is sakin sakin always written as two words? Any hyphen?
Yes, two separate words without a hyphen. Reduplicated adverbs like sakin sakin, yavaş yavaş are written with a space.
What’s going on with vowel harmony in yapmayalım vs bitirelim?
Vowel harmony picks the vowel of the suffix to match the preceding vowels:
- yap + ma + y + alım: back harmony → -alım.
- bitir + elim: front harmony → -elim. This is why the optative looks different after different stems.
Could we say Bugün telaşa kapılmayalım instead of telaş yapmayalım?
Yes. Telaşa kapılmak means “to get carried away by panic/fuss,” emphasizing being overtaken by the feeling. It’s a bit more figurative and slightly stronger in tone than telaş yapmak.
Do we need a possessive on işleri to mean “our tasks,” like işlerimizi?
Not necessarily. Context plus the inclusive let’s often makes the possessor obvious. Use işlerimizi if you need to be explicit (e.g., contrasting with someone else’s tasks), otherwise işleri is perfectly natural when the set is mutually known.