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Questions & Answers about Komşum dostça davranıyor.
What does the suffix in Komşum mean?
The ending -um is the 1st‑person singular possessive suffix -(I)m, so komşu (neighbor) + -um = komşum “my neighbor.”
Why is it -um and not -im / -üm / -ım?
Vowel harmony. The last vowel of komşu is o (a back vowel), so the possessive suffix uses a back vowel: -um. If the word had a front vowel, you’d get -im/‑üm instead (e.g., evim “my house,” gönlüm “my heart”). With a back unrounded vowel you’d get -ım (e.g., kitabım “my book”).
Do I need to say Benim komşum or is Komşum enough?
Komşum already means “my neighbor,” so benim is optional. Add benim only for emphasis or contrast: Benim komşum dostça davranıyor (ama seninki değil).
Could Komşum mean “I am a neighbor”?
No. “I am a neighbor” is Komşuyum (note the buffer y + personal ending -um for the copula). Komşum (no buffer y) is possessive: “my neighbor.”
What is dostça exactly?
It’s an adverb meaning “in a friendly way,” built from dost (friend) + the adverbial suffix -ca/‑ce/‑ça/‑çe. Here it’s -ça due to vowel harmony. So dostça modifies how someone behaves.
Why is it spelled dostça with ç, not dostca?
With the -ca/‑ce suffix, the initial consonant assimilates to the voicing of the preceding consonant: after a voiceless consonant like t, it becomes ç. Hence dost + ça = dostça.
Why do we need the verb davranıyor with dostça?
Because dostça is an adverb; it needs a verb to modify. Davranmak means “to behave/act.” Dostça davranıyor = “is behaving in a friendly way.” You can’t use dostça on its own as a predicate in Turkish.
How is davranıyor formed?
Root davran- (behave) + present continuous -(I)yor. The last vowel of the stem is a (back), so the progressive appears as -ıyor: davran-ıyor. In 3rd person singular there’s no extra personal ending, so it stays davranıyor.
What tense/aspect/person is davranıyor?
Present continuous, 3rd person singular: “he/she/they (singular) is behaving.”
How do I negate or ask a yes/no question?
- Negation: insert -ma/‑me before the progressive: davranmıyor (“is not behaving”).
- Polar question: add the question particle after the verb, with vowel harmony: davranıyor mu?
Putting them together: davranmıyor mu?
Could I use the simple present davranır instead of davranıyor?
Yes, but the meaning shifts:
- davranıyor = happening now / currently ongoing (or a present trend).
- davranır = habitual/generic (“tends to behave”).
So: Komşum dostça davranır implies a general tendency; … davranıyor suggests it’s happening now or these days.
Is the word order fixed? Where does dostça go?
Canonical order is Subject – Adverb – Verb: Komşum dostça davranıyor.
You can move dostça earlier for emphasis, but placing it after the verb (… davranıyor dostça) is generally unnatural.
How do I say “My neighbors are behaving in a friendly way”?
Komşularım dostça davranıyorlar.
- Komşularım = komşu + plural -lar
- my -ım (“my neighbors”).
- With a plural human subject, using -lar on the verb (davranıyorlar) is standard, though in casual speech you may hear it dropped: … davranıyor.
How do I say “toward me / toward us” in this sentence?
Use the dative or the postposition karşı:
- Komşum bana dostça davranıyor. (to me)
- Komşum bana karşı dostça davranıyor. (toward me)
Both are common; karşı makes “toward” explicit.
Could I say this without a verb, like “My neighbor is friendly”?
Turkish prefers an adjective or noun for nominal predicates:
- “My neighbor is friendly” ≈ Komşum arkadaş canlısı (dır). / Komşum dost canlısı.
You can’t say Komşum dostça as a standalone sentence, because dostça is an adverb, not an adjective.
How can I add intensity or hedging?
- Intensify: çok dostça, gayet dostça, oldukça dostça
- Hedge/soften: pek dostça değil (not very friendly), pek de dostça sayılmaz (can’t really be called friendly)
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- ş = “sh” in “shoe” (kom-ŞU-m)
- ç = “ch” in “chat” (DOS(T)-CHA)
- ı (dotless ı) = a close, back, unrounded vowel, like the a in “sofa” (dav-ra-NI-yor)
- -yor is pronounced “yor,” not “yore.”
Natural syllables: kom-şum | dost-ça | dav-ra-nı-yor.
Are there close synonyms for dostça?
Yes:
- arkadaşça (friendly, buddy-like)
- dostane (friendlike; a bit more formal/literary)
- As an adjective describing someone: samimi, sıcak, güleryüzlü (warm, cordial, friendly).
How would I put this in the past?
- Past continuous: Komşum dostça davranıyordu. (was behaving)
- Simple past: Komşum dostça davrandı. (behaved—completed action)
- Reported past (hearsay): Komşum dostça davranıyormuş.
What if I need the object case with a possessed noun like komşum?
When it’s a definite object, add the accusative after the possessive:
- Subject (no case): Komşum dostça davranıyor.
- Object (definite): Komşumu gördüm. (“I saw my neighbor.”)
Order of suffixes: stem + possessive + case → komşu + -um + -u = komşumu.