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Breakdown of Ben sabahları saçımı taramak için tarak kullanıyorum.
ben
I
benim
my
kullanmak
to use
sabah
morning
için
in order to
saç
the hair
tarak
the comb
taramak
to comb
Questions & Answers about Ben sabahları saçımı taramak için tarak kullanıyorum.
Do I need to include Ben, or can I drop it?
You can drop it. The ending -yorum on kullanıyorum already says “I.” Use Ben only for emphasis or contrast.
- Without pronoun: Sabahları saçımı taramak için tarak kullanıyorum.
- With emphasis: Ben sabahları saçımı taramak için tarak kullanıyorum. (I, as opposed to others…)
What exactly does sabahları mean, and how is it different from her sabah?
- sabahları = “in the mornings,” a general/habitual timeframe. It sounds a bit looser and descriptive of a routine.
- her sabah = “every morning,” stronger sense of “each and every morning,” more exact. Both are fine; choose based on how strict you want to sound.
How is sabahları formed morphologically?
It’s sabah (morning) + -lar (plural) + -ı (a generalizing/habitual marker used with time words). It means “on mornings/in the mornings.” It’s not the accusative here. Similar patterns:
- akşamları (in the evenings)
- kışları (in winters)
- pazartesileri (on Mondays)
Why is it saçımı (with -ı), not just saçım?
Because it’s a definite direct object (“my hair”) of the verb taramak inside the purpose clause. In Turkish, definite objects take the accusative -ı/-i/-u/-ü. So we say:
- saçımı taramak = to comb my hair (definite) Saying just saçım taramak would be ungrammatical.
How is saçımı built? Can you break down the suffixes?
- saç = hair
- -ım = my (1st person singular possessive) → saçım
- -ı = accusative (definite object) → saçımı Vowel harmony makes both suffix vowels the dotless ı here.
Can I say saçlarımı instead of saçımı?
Yes. saçımı treats hair as a mass (most common). saçlarımı emphasizes individual strands or “all my hairs,” sometimes implying thoroughness. Both are acceptable; saçımı is more neutral.
Why use -mak with için: taramak için? Could I say taramaya or taramayı?
- With için (“in order to/for”), use the bare infinitive: taramak için.
- -mAya (e.g., taramaya) is used for purpose mainly with motion verbs: Banyoya saçımı taramaya gidiyorum (I’m going to the bathroom to comb my hair).
- -mAyı (e.g., taramayı) is the verbal noun in accusative, used with verbs like want/like: Saçımı taramayı sevmiyorum (I don’t like combing my hair).
Could I just say Saçımı tarıyorum instead of mentioning tarak kullanıyorum?
Absolutely. Saçımı tarıyorum = “I’m combing my hair.” The original sentence explicitly mentions the tool: tarak (comb). Use whichever matches what you want to highlight: the action, the tool, or both.
Is there another, perhaps more natural, way to express the instrument, like using -la/-le?
Yes. The instrumental suffix -la/-le is very common:
- Tarakla saçımı tarıyorum. = I comb my hair with a comb. This is at least as natural as tarak kullanıyorum and often more concise.
Can I move parts of the sentence around? What word order is flexible here?
Turkish is flexible, but the verb usually stays last. All of these are acceptable:
- Sabahları saçımı taramak için tarak kullanıyorum.
- Saçımı taramak için sabahları tarak kullanıyorum.
- Ben sabahları tarak kullanıyorum saçımı taramak için. (puts the purpose at the end for focus) Earlier elements tend to be topic; items right before the verb are often in focus.
Why is kullanıyorum in the present continuous? Would kullanırım also work?
Both work, with a nuance:
- kullanıyorum (-yor) often describes a current, ongoing habit or a tendency “these days.”
- kullanırım (aorist) sounds more general/timeless: a steady habit or typical truth. With sabahları, either is fine; choose based on the nuance you want.
Why is tarak unmarked (no accusative)? When would I say tarağı?
Indefinite direct objects are unmarked: tarak kullanıyorum = “I use a comb (any comb).” Use accusative when it’s specific/definite:
- Hep aynı tarağı kullanıyorum. = I always use the same comb. Note the sound change: tarak + ı → tarağı (k softens to ğ).
Pronunciation help: how do I read the dotless ı in sabahları, saçımı, kullanıyorum?
Turkish ı is a back, unrounded vowel (IPA [ɯ]), somewhat like the vowel in English “roses” final syllable or a relaxed “uh,” but further back. It’s not the same as dotted i. Minimal pair: kız (girl) vs kiz (not a Turkish word, but shows the spelling difference).
Are tarak (comb) and taramak (to comb) related?
Yes. They share the root tara-. taramak is the verb “to comb,” and tarak is the instrument noun “comb.” Turkish often forms instrument nouns from verb roots through derivation.
Should I say benim saçımı or just saçımı?
Usually just saçımı. The possessive suffix -ım already means “my.” You add benim only for emphasis or contrast:
- Neutral: Saçımı taramak için tarak kullanıyorum.
- Emphatic: Benim saçımı taramak için tarak kullanıyorum (clunky unless you’re contrasting with someone else’s hair).
Why is it kullanıyorum and not something like kullaniyorum?
Vowel harmony and the progressive suffix shape it:
- Root: kullan-
- Progressive: -iyor/-ıyor/-uyor/-üyor (chooses the vowel based on the last vowel in the root) Since kullan- has the back vowel a, the suffix is -ıyor: kullan-ıyor-um → kullanıyorum.
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