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Siz gelinceye kadar gündemi güncellemekle meşguldüm.

Siz gelinceye kadar gündemi güncellemekle meşguldüm.
I was busy updating the agenda until you arrived.
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Questions & Answers about Siz gelinceye kadar gündemi güncellemekle meşguldüm.

What is the literal breakdown of “Siz gelinceye kadar”?
  • Siz: you (plural/formal)
  • gelince: when (you) come/arrive (gel- + -ince)
  • -ye: dative case required by “kadar” (buffer -y-)
  • kadar: until/as far as Literally: “Until (to the point) when you come.”
Is “gelinceye kadar” the same as “gelene kadar”? Which should I use?

Yes, both mean “until [someone] comes/arrives.”

  • gelinceye kadar = gel- + -ince + -ye + kadar
  • gelene kadar = gel- + -en + -e + kadar They’re interchangeable in everyday speech. “Gelene kadar” can feel a touch simpler; “gelinceye kadar” can sound slightly more formal/explicit. Use either.
Do I have to keep “Siz”? Can I say “Sen” or omit the pronoun?
  • “Siz” = polite or plural “you”; “Sen” = singular informal.
  • -ince/-ene clauses don’t mark person, so a pronoun clarifies the subject. Options:
  • Siz gelene/gelinceye kadar…
  • Sen gelene/gelinceye kadar…
  • (Omit) Gelene/gelinceye kadar… if context is clear.
What does the -ye in “gelinceye” do?
“Kadar” takes a dative complement. So “gelince” gets dative -e/-a (with buffer -y-): gelince + ye + kadar → “gelinceye kadar.” Compare: “Saat yediye kadar” (until seven).
Why use “güncellemekle meşgul” instead of just “güncelliyordum”?
  • The pattern is “X ile meşgul olmak” = “to be busy/occupied with X.”
  • If X is an action, use the infinitive + ile: güncellemek + ile → güncellemekle.
  • “Meşguldüm” emphasizes your state of being occupied; “güncelliyordum” emphasizes the ongoing action. Both are fine.
Why is it “gündemi” with -i? What if I leave off the -i?
  • -i is the accusative, marking a definite object: “the agenda (that we both know about).”
  • If you don’t want to specify, most natural is to drop the object: “Güncellemekle meşguldüm.”
  • A bare “gündem güncellemekle…” is possible but sounds awkward. Keep -i for a specific agenda or omit the object. Note: “gündemi” can also mean “his/her agenda.” If you mean “your (plural/formal) agenda,” say “gündeminizi.”
Is “-mekle” written as one word? Can I write “güncellemek ile”?
Write it as one word. “-le/-la” is the bound form of “ile,” and “güncellemekle” is the standard, smooth spelling. “Güncellemek ile” is grammatical but looks stiff.
How is “meşguldüm” formed?
meşgul (busy) + past copula (idi → -dı/-di/-du/-dü) + 1sg (-m) → meşgul-dü-m = “I was busy.” It’s the contracted form of “meşgul idim.” In practice, memorize the fixed pair “meşgulüm” (I’m busy) / “meşguldüm” (I was busy).
Could I say “gündemi güncelliyordum” instead? Any nuance difference?

Yes:

  • Siz gelene/gelinceye kadar gündemi güncelliyordum. (focus on the action in progress)
  • Siz gelene/gelinceye kadar gündemi güncellemekle meşguldüm. (focus on being occupied with that task) Both are natural.
Are there more colloquial alternatives to “meşguldüm”?

Yes:

  • …gündem(i) güncellemeyle uğraşıyordum. (I was dealing with…)
  • …gündemi güncelliyordum. (I was updating…)
  • …yoğundum. (I was swamped/busy)
Can I change the word order?

Yes. Common variants:

  • Siz gelinceye kadar, gündemi güncellemekle meşguldüm.
  • Gündemi güncellemekle meşguldüm, siz gelinceye kadar.
  • Gündemi güncellemekle, siz gelinceye kadar meşguldüm. Word order adjusts focus; meaning stays the same.
Do I need a comma after the initial clause?
Optional. A comma after an initial time clause improves readability in writing: “Siz gelinceye kadar, …” It’s often omitted in informal text.
Does -ince by itself mean “until”?

No. -ince/-ınca alone means “when/once/as soon as.”

  • Siz gelince meşguldüm. = I was busy when you came.
  • Siz gelinceye kadar meşguldüm. = I was busy until you came.
Are there synonyms for “kadar” here?

Yes: “dek” and “değin.”

  • Siz gelinceye dek…
  • Siz gelene değin… They’re a bit more formal/literary but fully correct.
Can I use the formal progressive “-mekte”?

Yes, more formal:

  • Siz gelene kadar gündemi güncellemekteydim. It sounds bookish; everyday speech prefers “güncelliyordum” or “meşguldüm.”
How would I say “By the time you came, I had already updated the agenda”?

Use past perfect:

  • Siz geldiğinizde/geldiğiniz zaman, gündemi çoktan güncellemiştim.
  • Siz gelince, gündemi çoktan güncellemiştim. (colloquial) Here “geldiğinizde” = gel- + -dik + 2pl poss + -de (“when you [pl/polite] came”).