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Questions & Answers about Bana bu kadar çay yetiyor.
What exactly does yetiyor mean here, and how is it formed?
It’s the present continuous of the verb yetmek “to be enough, to suffice.”
- Stem: yet-
- Suffix: -(i)yor (present continuous)
- Person/number: 3rd singular (because the subject is “this much tea”)
So yetiyor = “is (currently) enough / suffices.”
Why is it bana (dative “to me/for me”) and not something like benim için (“for me”)?
Certain Turkish verbs that express needs, sufficiency, suitability, or effect take the experiencer in the dative. Yetmek is one of them.
- Bana bu kadar çay yetiyor = “This amount of tea suffices for me (meets my need).”
You can say Benim için bu kadar çay yeter, but that leans toward “As far as I’m concerned / In my book this much tea is enough,” i.e., an opinion/judgment. Bana is the idiomatic choice with yetmek to mark the person for whom it is enough.
Why isn’t çay in the accusative (why not çayı)?
Because çay is the subject, and yetmek is intransitive (it doesn’t take a direct object). Accusative marks definite direct objects of transitive verbs, so it’s not used here.
Note: çayı could appear in a different sentence as “his/her tea” (possessed form), e.g., Onun çayı yetiyor = “His/Her tea is enough.” That’s not accusative in that case, but possession.
Can I say Bu kadar çay bana yeter instead? What’s the difference between yeter and yetiyor?
Yes.
- yeter (aorist) = general truth/habitual or neutral statement: “This much tea (generally) suffices (for me).”
- yetiyor (present continuous) = current/ongoing state: “Right now / in this situation this much tea is enough.”
Both are common; pick based on whether you want a general statement or a present-situation nuance.
Does word order matter? How do Bana bu kadar çay yetiyor and Bu kadar çay bana yetiyor differ?
Both are grammatical. Word order mainly affects emphasis/focus:
- Bu kadar çay bana yetiyor is the most neutral (subject first).
- Bana bu kadar çay yetiyor foregrounds “for me” (contrastive: for me it’s enough, maybe not for others).
- Bu kadar çay yetiyor bana sounds like an afterthought or added emphasis on “for me.” Choose the order to highlight what you want to contrast.
What does bu kadar mean exactly? Can I use şu kadar or o kadar? What about bu kadar çok?
- bu kadar = “this much/this many; so much/so many (near the speaker).”
- şu kadar = “that much” (often something visible/being pointed at, not right by the speaker).
- o kadar = “that much” (farther away, or previously mentioned, or abstract).
You can intensify with çok: bu kadar çok çay = “this much tea (a lot of tea).”
When should I use bu kadarı instead of bu kadar çay?
Use bu kadarı when “this much (of it)” stands alone without naming the noun. The -I is a 3rd person possessive that pronominalizes the phrase:
- Bu kadar çay bana yetiyor = “This much tea is enough for me.”
- Bu kadarı bana yeter = “This much (of it) is enough for me.”
If you mention the noun (çay), don’t add -I.
How do I negate or ask a question with yetmek?
- Negation: yetmiyor = “is not enough.”
Example: Bana bu kadar çay yetmiyor. - Yes/no question: add -mI before the personal ending/after the tense:
- Yetiyor mu? = “Is it enough?”
- Yeter mi? = “Is it (generally) enough?” (aorist, neutral assessment)
Can I omit bana?
Only if context already makes the experiencer clear. Bu kadar çay yetiyor just means “This much tea is enough,” without saying for whom. In most real situations you keep bana (or another person in dative) to avoid ambiguity.
How do I say it for other people (you, him/her, us, etc.)?
Replace bana with the appropriate dative pronoun:
- sana (to you, sg.)
- ona (to him/her)
- bize (to us)
- size (to you, pl./formal)
- onlara (to them)
Example: Sana bu kadar çay yetiyor mu?
Is çay singular or plural here? Could I say çaylar?
Here çay is a mass/uncountable noun referring to an amount of tea, so it stays in the bare singular. Çaylar would usually mean multiple servings/types (“teas”) and doesn’t fit with bu kadar as a measure phrase. If you want to count servings, use a measure word: Bu kadar bardak çay bana yetiyor (“This many cups of tea are enough for me”).
Are there synonyms or alternative ways to express the same idea?
Yes:
- Bana bu kadar çay yeter. (aorist)
- Bana bu kadar çay yeterli. (adjectival “is sufficient”)
- Bana bu kadar çay yeterli geliyor. (“feels/supposed to be sufficient”)
- More formal/literary: kâfi: Bana bu kadar çay kâfi (geliyor).
What’s the difference between bana, bana göre, and bence here?
- bana (dative) with yetmek = marks the person whose need is satisfied: “is enough for me.”
- bana göre usually means “in my opinion” or “to/for my size/fit.” With tea, Bana göre bu kadar çay yeter reads as “In my opinion, this much tea is enough (generally),” not necessarily “enough for me personally.”
- bence = “I think/in my view.” Bence bu kadar çay yeter is an opinion statement.
Any pronunciation or stress tips for this sentence?
- çay sounds like “chai.”
- bana stress on last syllable: ba-NA.
- kadar stress on last syllable: ka-DAR.
- In -iyor forms, main stress falls on the syllable before -yor: ye-Tİ-yor.
So: ba-NA bu ka-DAR çay ye-Tİ-yor.
Can I add particles like da/de, bile, or sadece/yalnız for nuance?
Yes:
- Bana da bu kadar çay yetiyor. = “For me too, this much tea is enough.”
- Bana bu kadar çay bile yetiyor. = “Even this much tea is enough for me” (surprisingly little).
- Bana sadece/yalnız bu kadar çay yetiyor. = “Only this much tea is enough for me.”
Is this something people say while gesturing?
Very often. Bu kadar is frequently accompanied by a hand gesture showing height/width. Without visual context, speakers may specify a measure: İki bardak çay bana yetiyor (“Two cups of tea are enough for me”).
How would I talk about future, past, or assumptions?
- Future: Bana bu kadar çay yetecek. = “This much tea will be enough for me.”
- Past: Bana bu kadar çay yetti. = “This much tea was enough for me.”
- Inferential/presumptive: Bana bu kadar çay yetmiştir. = “This much tea has probably been enough for me / I assume it was enough.”