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Breakdown of Telefon dondu donmasına, ama kapatıp açınca çalıştı.
çalışmak
to work
ama
but
telefon
the phone
kapatmak
to turn off
açmak
to turn on
-ınca
when
-ıp
and
dondu donmasına
did freeze (though)
Questions & Answers about Telefon dondu donmasına, ama kapatıp açınca çalıştı.
What does the part dondu donmasına mean?
It’s a concessive emphasis: “It did freeze, though.” It acknowledges the truth of “it froze” while setting up a contrast that follows (here, introduced by ama “but”).
Why repeat the verb in dondu donmasına instead of just saying dondu ama?
The duplication with the -mAsI(n)a form adds a nuance of “Granted/Admittedly, it froze.” It’s stronger and more expressive than a plain “It froze, but…,” which is more matter-of-fact.
How is donmasına formed morphologically?
- don- = freeze (verb root)
- -ma = verbal noun/gerund (“freezing”)
- -sı = 3rd person possessive (buffer -s- appears: “its freezing”)
- -na = dative case (“to/for its freezing”) Together, don-ma-sı-na. In this fixed pattern, it contributes a concessive sense (“even though it froze”).
Is dondu donmasına the same as donmasına rağmen?
Close in meaning, but not identical in tone.
- dondu donmasına ≈ “It did freeze, to be fair…” (colloquial, rhetorical concession).
- donmasına rağmen = “although it froze” (more formal/explicit). Both can introduce a contrast, but the duplicated pattern sounds more conversational.
Can ama be dropped or replaced?
- You can drop it: Telefon dondu donmasına; kapatıp açınca çalıştı.
- You can replace it with near-synonyms, adjusting formality:
- fakat/ancak/lakin (more formal)
- yine de (“still/nevertheless,” often without a comma: …, yine de çalıştı)
What does kapatıp açınca mean, and how is it built?
It means “when (I) turned it off and then back on.”
- kapat-ıp: -Ip links sequential actions (“after turning off”)
- aç-ınca: -IncA “when/once/after (opening/turning on)” Together it’s a common way to describe power-cycling a device.
Who is doing the turning off/on in kapatıp açınca? It’s not the phone, right?
Right—the subject is understood from context (typically “I”/“we”). Turkish often omits obvious subjects in adverbial clauses. If you want to make it explicit, you can say:
- Ben kapatıp açınca, telefon çalıştı.
Why isn’t there an object like telefonu or onu in kapatıp açınca?
It’s understood from context. Adding it is optional but can avoid ambiguity:
- Telefonu/Onu kapatıp açınca, çalıştı. (“When I turned the phone/it off and on, it worked.”)
Why açınca and not açtığımda? Are they different?
Both mean “when,” but with slightly different flavors:
- -IncA (açınca): general/neutral “when/once (I) opened/turned it on.”
- -DIğImDA (açtığımda): “when I opened/turned it on,” a bit more specific/personal. Either works here.
Could I say kapatıp açtıktan sonra instead of kapatıp açınca?
Yes. -DIKtan sonra means “after -ing,” so:
- Kapatıp açtıktan sonra çalıştı. = “After turning it off and on, it worked.” It’s slightly more sequential/afterward than the broader “when/once” of -ınca.
Does çalıştı mean “he worked”? Why is it used for a phone?
For machines/devices, çalışmak means “to run/work/function.” So çalıştı here is “it worked/started running.”
Is the tense/aspect combination natural? Past (dondu, çalıştı) with -ınca?
Yes. The adverbial -ınca clause gives the time frame (“when/once”), and the main events use simple past: it froze; when it was power-cycled, it worked.
Is dondu donmasına formal or colloquial?
It’s common in everyday speech and neutral writing, slightly colloquial in tone. It adds a conversational “I admit…” flavor.
Any similar patterns I can reuse?
Yes:
- With verbs: Kazandı kazanmasına, ama… (“He did win, but…”)
- With adjectives/nouns via olmasına: Güzel olmasına güzel, ama pahalı. (“It’s beautiful, sure, but it’s expensive.”)
Small pronunciation/vowel-harmony notes?
- donmasına uses back, unrounded vowels: don-ma-sı-na.
- kapatıp takes -ıp (not -ip) because of the back unrounded vowel in kapat-.
- açınca takes -ınca (not -ince) for the same back vowel reason.
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