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Questions & Answers about Toplantı uzadı.
What does each word literally mean in “Toplantı uzadı.”?
- Toplantı = meeting, gathering. It’s a noun formed from the verb toplanmak (to gather/assemble) with the nominalizer -ntı/-nti.
- uzadı = it lengthened/ran long. From the intransitive verb uzamak (to get longer), with the simple past tense suffix -DI in 3rd person singular: uzadı.
Why is it “uzadı” and not “uzadi/uzadi̇/uzadu/uzadü”? What decides that final vowel?
Vowel harmony. The past tense suffix is written as -DI, which appears as -dı/-di/-du/-dü according to the last vowel of the stem:
- Last vowel is back unrounded (a/ı) → -dı: uzadı
- Front unrounded (e/i) → -di
- Back rounded (o/u) → -du
- Front rounded (ö/ü) → -dü
Also, D becomes t (tı/ti/tu/tü) after a voiceless consonant, but here the stem ends in a vowel, so it stays d.
How do I pronounce the ı in “Toplantı” and “uzadı”?
Turkish ı is a dotless vowel, like a close back unrounded sound [ɯ]. Roughly:
- Toplantı → [topˈlɑn.tɯ] (top-LAHN-tuh)
- uzadı → [uzaˈdɯ] (oo-ZAH-duh) Stress is typically on the last syllable in both.
Where is the subject pronoun “it”? Why isn’t it “It (o) the meeting ran long”?
Turkish drops subject pronouns because person/number are on the verb. uzadı already means “it/he/she lengthened.” The explicit subject Toplantı is there, so you don’t add o. You could say O toplantı uzadı to mean “That meeting ran long,” with demonstrative emphasis.
What tense/aspect is “uzadı”? How is it different from “uzamış”?
- uzadı = simple past, direct knowledge/completed event: “(It) ran long.”
- uzamış = evidential past (reported/inferential) or surprised discovery: “Apparently it ran long,” or “Looks like it ran long.”
Can I say “Toplantı uzandı”? What’s the difference between “uzamak” and “uzanmak”?
No for this meaning.
- uzamak = to get longer/lengthen (time, hair, rope, topic). → Toplantı uzadı = The meeting ran long.
- uzanmak = to lie down; to stretch/reach out (a body part). Toplantı uzandı would be incorrect here.
What if I want “The meeting was extended (by someone)” rather than “ran long”?
Use the passive of uzatmak (to extend something):
- Toplantı uzatıldı. = The meeting was extended.
This implies an agent made it longer, unlike intransitive uzadı (it lengthened on its own).
How is “Toplantı uzun sürdü” different from “Toplantı uzadı”?
- Toplantı uzun sürdü = It lasted a long time (neutral about expectation).
- Toplantı uzadı = It went longer than expected/it overran (implies extension beyond plan).
How do I say “The meeting ran long by 30 minutes”?
- Toplantı 30 dakika uzadı.
- Toplantı planlanandan 30 dakika fazla sürdü.
- Colloquial: Toplantı 30 dakika sarktı. (It overran by 30 minutes.)
How do I make it negative or ask a yes/no question?
- Negative: Toplantı uzamadı. = The meeting didn’t run long.
- Yes/no: Toplantı uzadı mı? = Did the meeting run long?
- Negative question: Toplantı uzamadı mı? = Didn’t the meeting run long?
Note: The question particle mı/mi/mu/mü follows vowel harmony and is written separately.
How do I use other tenses with “uzamak”?
- Present progressive: Toplantı uzuyor. = The meeting is running long.
- Future: Toplantı uzayacak. = The meeting will run long.
- Ability: Toplantı uzayabilir. = It might/can run long.
- Conditional: Toplantı uzarsa… = If the meeting runs long…
- When/once: Toplantı uzayınca… = When/once the meeting runs long…
Why is there no article (“the”/“a”) before “Toplantı”? How do I show definiteness?
Turkish has no definite article. Toplantı can be “the meeting” from context.
To be explicit:
- Indefinite: Bir toplantı uzadı. = A meeting ran long.
- Definite/pointed: Bu/Şu/O toplantı uzadı. = This/That meeting ran long.
What case ending does “Toplantı” take as the subject?
None. Subjects are in the bare nominative (no suffix). Objects take case (e.g., accusative) when needed, but there’s no object here.
Can I change the word order?
Default is Subject–Verb: Toplantı uzadı.
For focus, you can front what you want to emphasize:
- Uzadı toplantı. (marked; emphasizing the verb/result)
In speech, intonation does most of the work; the neutral choice is the original order.
Are there colloquial alternatives to say something “ran long/overran”?
Yes:
- Toplantı sarktı. (overran, spilled over time)
- Toplantı bitmek bilmedi. / Bir türlü bitmedi. (it just wouldn’t end)
- Toplantı uzadı da uzadı. (it went on and on)
Is “uzamak” only for time?
No. It’s also used for physical or abstract lengthening:
- Saçım uzadı. = My hair grew longer.
- Kablo uzadı. = The cable got longer (or was lengthened in context).
- Konu uzadı. = The topic dragged on.
How do I say “Because the meeting ran long, …”?
- Toplantı uzadığı için … = Because the meeting ran long, …
- More colloquial/temporal: Toplantı uzayınca … = Once/when the meeting ran long, …
How can I apologize politely for it?
- Toplantının uzamasından dolayı özür dileriz.
- Toplantı uzun sürdüğü için özür dileriz.
How do I add nuance like “a bit,” “really,” or “too long”?
- Toplantı biraz uzadı. = The meeting ran a bit long.
- Toplantı çok/bayağı uzadı. = It ran really/quite long.
- Toplantı fazla uzadı. / Gereğinden fazla uzadı. = It ran too long.
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