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Questions & Answers about Koridora da boyacı çağırdım, duvardaki lekeleri kapattırdım.
What does the bolded particle da after koridora do?
It’s the clitic meaning “also/too,” focusing the word it follows. Here it highlights that the corridor is an additional location: “for the corridor, too.” It’s written separately (not as a suffix), follows vowel harmony (de/da), and unlike the locative suffix, it never turns into te/ta.
Why is it koridora (dative) and not koridorda (locative)?
Because çağırmak (“to call/summon”) takes a destination with the dative: you call someone to a place. So it’s “to the corridor” (koridora), not “in the corridor” (koridorda). If you said koridorda, you’d be talking about being/acting in that location, not sending someone there.
Could I move da elsewhere, and how would the meaning change?
Yes. da/de follows the element it focuses.
- Ben de koridora boyacı çağırdım. = I, too, did this (someone else did it as well).
- Koridora boyacı da çağırdım. = I also called a painter (in addition to, say, an electrician).
- Duvardaki lekeleri de kapattırdım. = I also had the wall stains covered (in addition to other tasks).
Why is boyacı bare, but lekeleri has the -i ending?
Turkish marks definite direct objects with accusative -(y)i.
- boyacı çağırdım = “I called a painter” (indefinite, no accusative).
- duvardaki lekeleri kapattırdım = “I had the stains (on the wall) covered” (definite, hence accusative plural -leri).
When would I say boyacıyı çağırdım instead?
Use accusative when the painter is specific/known (“I called the painter,” e.g., the one we both know). boyacı çağırdım is “I called a painter” (non-specific, introducing new information).
Do I need to say bir boyacı?
Not required. Adding bir can emphasize “a/one painter” or present it as new information. Both boyacı çağırdım and bir boyacı çağırdım are acceptable; the bare form is very common.
What exactly is duvardaki?
It’s duvar (wall) + locative -da + -ki, which turns a location phrase into an adjective: “the one(s) on the wall.” So duvardaki lekeler = “the stains on the wall.”
Is lekeleri accusative or possessive?
Here it’s plural + accusative: leke + ler + (y)i = “the stains” as a definite object. The form -leri can also be 3rd-person possessive plural in other contexts, but with duvardaki it’s understood as “the wall stains” (definite), not “his/her stains.”
How is kapattırdım formed, and what nuance does it add?
It’s causative + past + 1sg: kapat- (to close/cover) + -tır (make/have someone do) → kapattır- + -dı (past) + -m (I) = “I had [someone] cover.” The doubled t is from kapat + tır → kapattır-. The causative shows you arranged for someone else (the painter) to do it.
Why not use a causative with çağırdım too?
Because you yourself did the calling. çağırdım = I called. If you said çağırttım, that would mean “I had someone else call (the painter),” which is a different situation.
Could I say kapattım instead of kapattırdım?
Yes, but it changes the meaning: kapattım = “I covered them (myself).” kapattırdım = “I had them covered (by someone else).” In the given sentence, the painter is the doer, so the causative fits.
Why use kapat- for stains? Are there alternatives?
With paintwork, leke(yi) kapatmak is idiomatic for “to cover/paint over a stain.” Alternatives:
- duvarı boyattım = I had the wall painted (implies covering).
- lekeleri sildirdim = I had the stains cleaned (if they can be wiped off).
Is the comma without ve normal?
Yes. Turkish often uses a comma to link two related clauses in sequence. You could add ve (“and”)—..., ve duvardaki lekeleri kapattırdım—but the comma alone is fine and natural.
How is çağırdım built, and any pronunciation tips?
çağır- (call/summon) + -dı (past) + -m (I). The letter ğ lengthens/smooths the preceding vowel; it’s not a hard “g.” So çağırdım is pronounced with a long “a” sound and a relaxed glide into ı.
Is boyacı the right word for a house painter? What about ressam?
Yes, boyacı is the tradesperson who paints walls/doors, etc. ressam is a fine artist (a painter in the artistic sense), so it wouldn’t fit here.
Can I name the agent in the causative clause?
Yes, you can add the doer in the dative: Boyacıya duvardaki lekeleri kapattırdım = “I had the painter cover the stains.” The causative already implies another agent; adding boyacıya makes it explicit.