Breakdown of Dolaptaki elbiseleri katladım, hepsini askıya astım.
Questions & Answers about Dolaptaki elbiseleri katladım, hepsini askıya astım.
- dolapta = “in the closet/wardrobe” (locative; an adverbial phrase of place)
- dolaptaki = “the one(s) that are in the closet” (locative + -ki; turns it into an adjective)
Form: dolap + ta + ki → dolaptaki. The -ki suffix makes a relative-like adjective: “the X that is/are in/on/at Y.”
Examples:
- Dolapta elbise katladım. = I folded clothes in the closet. (where the action happened)
- Dolaptaki elbiseleri katladım. = I folded the clothes that are in the closet. (which clothes I folded)
Note the consonant in dolaptaki is t, not d, because the locative on a voiceless consonant is -ta/-te: dolapta → dolaptaki (not “dolapdaki”).
In Turkish, a definite/specific direct object takes the accusative. Dolaptaki elbiseleri is “the clothes (in the closet)”—a specific set—so you need -i:
- Dolaptaki elbiseleri katladım. = I folded the clothes (in the closet). [definite] If you mean it indefinitely, you’d avoid -i and usually drop -ki as well:
- Dolapta elbise katladım. = I folded (some) clothes in the closet. [indefinite]
Alone, elbiseleri can be ambiguous in other contexts (it can be “their clothes” as a possessed noun in the nominative), but in your sentence it functions as the definite plural object (“the clothes”). To clearly express possession with a direct object, add both the possessive and the accusative:
- Onun elbiseleri burada. = His/Her clothes are here. (subject; nominative)
- Onun elbiselerini katladım. = I folded his/her clothes. (object; accusative)
- Onun dolaptaki elbiselerini katladım. = I folded his/her clothes that are in the closet.
Hepsi is nominative (“all [of them]” as a subject or predicate). As a definite object, it takes accusative: hepsini.
- Hepsi askıda. = They’re all on the hanger(s). (predicate)
- Hepsini askıya astım. = I hung them all (up). (object)
Yes, hepsini refers back to the clothes you just mentioned. You can say onları (“them”) but it doesn’t emphasize “all”:
- Onları askıya astım. = I hung them. (neutral)
- Hepsini askıya astım. = I hung all of them. (no exceptions)
- For extra emphasis you can say Onların hepsini askıya astım.
A buffer consonant. The dative is -a/-e, and when a word ends in a vowel, Turkish inserts y:
- askı + a → askıya
- kapı + a → kapıya
- bina + e → binaya
Both are fine; it depends on what you want to highlight.
- Hepsini askıya astım. = I hung them on a hanger/on hangers (generic destination; natural and common).
- Hepsini askılara astım. = I hung them onto (multiple) hangers (emphasizes the plurality of hangers).
For the target you hang something onto, asmak takes the dative (-a/-e):
- … askıya asmak = to hang on(to) a hanger Use the locative (-da/-de) to describe the resulting location/state:
- Hepsi askıda. = They’re all on the hanger(s).
- Hepsini askıya astım. = I hung them on the hanger(s).
- katla- (stem) + -dı (past) + -m (1sg) → vowel harmony: katladım
- as- (stem) + -dı (past) + -m (1sg) → after a voiceless consonant, the past becomes -tı; vowel harmony with “a” → astım
Yes:
- Dolaptaki elbiseleri katladım ve hepsini askıya astım. (with “ve” = and)
- Dolaptaki elbiseleri katlayıp hepsini askıya astım. (-ıp links sequential same-subject actions smoothly) All are natural.
Different meaning:
- Dolapta elbiseleri katladım. = I folded the clothes in the closet (location of the action).
- Dolaptaki elbiseleri katladım. = I folded the clothes that are in the closet (identifies which clothes). Use -taki/-deki when you want “the one(s) that are in/on/at …,” not just the place of the action.
- elbise often means “dress” (a specific garment), though some speakers do use it broadly for clothes.
- For general “clothes,” kıyafet (very common) or giysi (more formal/neutral) are safer. Examples:
- Dolaptaki kıyafetleri katladım.
- Dolaptaki giysileri katladım.
Before the verb, and typically before other complements:
- Most natural: Hepsini askıya astım.
- Acceptable but marked for emphasis: Askıya hepsini astım. (puts focus on “askıya”) Object pronouns like hepsini usually sit right before the verb.