Learn Hardcore Turkish: Terzi ceketin kolunu da daralttı, şimdi tam oldu. - The tailor also narrowed the sleeve of the jacket; now it fits perfectly.

It’s the additive clitic meaning also / too / as well. Placed after kolunu, it highlights that the tailor narrowed the sleeve as well (in addition to some other part, like the body of the jacket). The additive clitic is written separately and appears as de after front vowels and da after back vowels; here kolunu ends with a back vowel, so it’s da.

How is this da/de different from the locative suffix -da/-de?

Additive da/de is a separate word: kolunu da = the sleeve too.
Locative -da/-de is attached to the noun and can become -ta/-te after a voiceless consonant: evde = at home, parkta = in the park. A quick check: if it’s written separately, it’s the additive clitic; if attached, it’s usually the locative.

Why is it ceketin? What does -in do?

Ceket-in is the genitive, meaning of the jacket. It forms a genitive–possessive construction with the possessed noun: ceketin kolu = the jacket’s sleeve.

What exactly is kolunu made up of?

kol = arm/sleeve
-u = 3rd person singular possessive (its/his/her), giving kolu = its sleeve
-nu = accusative case with the buffer -n, giving kolunu So ceketin kolunu = the jacket’s sleeve (as a specific direct object).

Why does the object take the accusative here?

In Turkish, a specific/definite direct object takes the accusative. We’re talking about a particular sleeve of a particular jacket, so kolunu is marked. Without the accusative (just kolu), the phrase would be ambiguous and could even be read as a subject in a different sentence.

Could I say kollarını instead of kolunu?

Yes. kollarını (plural + poss + acc) means the sleeves (both sleeves). Kolunu is singular (one sleeve). In real life, a tailor would likely adjust both sleeves, so kollarını is often more natural if that’s the intended meaning.

Why does kol mean sleeve here? Isn’t it “arm”?

Kol means both arm and sleeve. In a clothing context, ceketin kolu is naturally understood as the jacket’s sleeve.

What does daralttı come from? Why are there two t’s?

Base adjective: dar = narrow
Inchoative verb: dar-al- = to become narrow
Causative: dar-al-t- = to make something narrow
Past: -tı (vowel harmony, and d→t after voiceless consonant) So: dar
- -al-
  - -t-
    - -tı → daralttı. The double tt is simply the stem-final t plus the past -tı.

Why is it -tı and not -dı?

The past tense suffix harmonizes for both vowel and voicing. After a voiceless consonant (like t), -dı surfaces as -tı. After ol-, which ends in a voiced consonant, you get ol-du.

What does şimdi tam oldu literally convey?

Literally, now it became exact/perfect. In idiomatic English: now it’s just right / now it fits perfectly. Turkish often uses oldu (past) to express a current result: something has become a desired state.

Could I say şimdi tam or şimdi tamdır instead?

Şimdi tam (zero copula) is possible but sounds incomplete here; it lacks the sense of change/result.
Şimdi tamdır is grammatically fine but marked/formal or generic.
Şimdi tam oldu is the most natural way to express “Now it’s just right (as a result of what was done).”

What would change if I used -miş past: daraltmış, tam olmuş?

-miş is inferential/reportative. Daraltmış or tam olmuş suggests you learned or inferred this (e.g., by seeing it later or being told). Daralttı, oldu present it as a straightforward, witnessed narrative.

Does the position of da matter? What if I move it?

Yes, it attaches to what you’re adding:

Terzi de… = the tailor also (perhaps in addition to someone else)
Ceketi de… = the jacket also (maybe in addition to another item)
Ceketin kolunu da… = the sleeve also (in addition to some other part) Moving da changes the focus of “also.”

Is word order fixed?

Basic Turkish order is SOV, so [Subject] [Object] [Verb]: Terzi [ceketin kolunu da] daralttı. You can shuffle elements for emphasis/topicalization, but the verb typically stays at the end in neutral statements.

Are there articles like “a/the” in Turkish? How do we know if it’s “the tailor” or “a tailor”?

Turkish has no articles. Terzi can be “the tailor” or “a tailor,” decided by context. You can specify with o terzi (that tailor), bu terzi (this tailor), or a name/title if needed.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky sounds here?

c in ceket is like English j in jam: “je-ket.”
ı in daralttı is the close back unrounded vowel, similar to the vowel in “roses” for many English speakers: “dah-ral-ttɯ.”
Final -ttı has a crisp /t/; the double t isn’t strongly held but you’ll hear a clear /t/ before -ı.
şimdi would be “shim-di” if it had ş, but here it’s şimdi indeed spelled with ş? Wait, the word is şimdi (now), pronounced “shim-di.”

What’s the difference between da and daha?

da/de = also/too.
daha = more, still, yet (comparative or continuative). For example, daha dar = narrower; daha olmadı = it’s not done yet. They’re unrelated in use despite looking similar.

Can I drop the subject and just say Ceketin kolunu da daralttı, şimdi tam oldu?

Yes. Turkish often omits pronouns; the verb ending already encodes person/number. If the subject is understood from context, that sentence is perfectly natural.