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Questions & Answers about Affedersiniz, ben yanlış anladım.
What does Affedersiniz literally mean, and why is it conjugated with -siniz?
It literally means “you (polite/plural) excuse/forgive.” It’s the aorist form of the compound verb affetmek (“to forgive”), built as af + f + eder + siniz. The suffix -siniz is second person plural and is used for polite address to one person as well. Idiomatically, it functions like English “Excuse me.”
Is Affedersiniz the same as Özür dilerim or Pardon? When should I use each?
- Affedersiniz: polite attention-getter, gentle interruption, or soft apology opener.
- Özür dilerim: clear, stronger apology (“I apologize/I’m sorry”).
- Pardon: very common, casual “sorry/excuse me.”
- Kusura bakmayın: polite, sincere “Sorry” (literally “don’t look at my fault”). All can fit here; Affedersiniz is safe and neutral-polite.
Why is Affedersiniz spelled with double f? Is Afedersiniz wrong?
Standard spelling uses double f: affedersiniz. It comes from af + etmek; in this compound the consonant doubles: affetmek. In the aorist you get affeder-, hence affedersiniz. A single f is a common misspelling.
What is the grammatical breakdown of Affedersiniz?
- af (forgiveness) + consonant doubling f
- et- (“to do/make”)
- aorist on et- → eder
- -siniz (2nd person plural/polite) A very polite variant is Affeder misiniz? (“Would you excuse me?”).
Do I need the pronoun ben here? Can I just say Yanlış anladım?
You can (and usually do) drop ben. Yanlış anladım is perfectly natural. Keep ben only for emphasis or contrast (“I, specifically, misunderstood”).
How does yanlış anladım mean “I misunderstood”? Isn’t yanlış an adjective?
In Turkish, many adjectives work adverbially before verbs. Yanlış before anladım means “understood wrongly,” i.e., “misunderstood.” The set collocation is yanlış anlamak (“to misunderstand”).
Do I need to say who or what I misunderstood? How would I add it?
Add a direct object in the accusative:
- Sizi yanlış anladım. (I misunderstood you.)
- Soruyu yanlış anladım. (I misunderstood the question.) Without an object, it’s general.
What’s the difference between yanlış anladım and anlamadım?
- Yanlış anladım: you understood something, but incorrectly.
- Anlamadım: you didn’t understand at all.
What’s the nuance difference between yanlış anladım and yanlış anlamışım?
- Yanlış anladım: plain past; a straightforward assertion.
- Yanlış anlamışım: evidential past (-miş); you realized it later or are reporting it indirectly. Softer, like “Apparently/I guess I misunderstood.”
How is anladım formed?
Root anla- (understand) + past -DI (vowel harmony → -dı) + 1st person -m → anladım. The -DI suffix surfaces as d after vowels/voiced consonants and as t after voiceless ones (e.g., çalıştım).
Can I say Affeder misiniz? or Affedin instead of Affedersiniz?
- Affeder misiniz?: very polite “Would you excuse me?”—great for getting attention.
- Affedin: polite imperative “Forgive me,” stronger and more apologetic. All are acceptable; choose based on how formal/strong you want to be.
Can I move words around, like Yanlış anladım ben?
Yes, for emphasis. Neutral: Yanlış anladım. Emphasizing the subject: Ben yanlış anladım. Extra emphasis on “I”: Yanlış anladım ben. Keep yanlış before the verb; anladım yanlış is not natural.
Is the comma after Affedersiniz required?
No. It just marks a natural pause. Both Affedersiniz, ben yanlış anladım. and Affedersiniz ben yanlış anladım. are fine.
Should it be sizi or sana with this verb?
Use the accusative direct object with yanlış anlamak: sizi (“you,” acc.). Sana is dative (“to you”) and doesn’t fit here. Correct: Sizi yanlış anladım.
Can I use yanlışlıkla here?
Not with anlamak. Yanlışlıkla means “by mistake/accidentally” and fits actions like yanlışlıkla aradım (“I called by mistake”). For misunderstanding, use yanlış anladım or hedge with Yanlış anlamış olabilirim (“I might have misunderstood”).
Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- ı (in yanlış, anladım) is the dotless i, a short “uh” sound.
- ş is “sh.”
- Default stress is on the last syllable: af-fe-der-si-NİZ, yan-LIŞ, an-la-DIM.