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Breakdown of Jeneratör devreye girer girmez elektrik geldi.
gelmek
to come
elektrik
the electricity
jeneratör
the generator
devreye girer girmez
as soon as
Questions & Answers about Jeneratör devreye girer girmez elektrik geldi.
What exactly does the phrase girer girmez mean and how is it formed?
It means as soon as. It’s formed by repeating the same verb twice: first in the affirmative aorist (girer), then in the negative aorist (girmez). The pattern is: V-(A)r V-maz. Despite the negative form, the whole pair together expresses immediate succession, not negation.
- girer = gir- (to enter) + -er (aorist, 3rd person)
- girmez = gir- + -mez (negative aorist, 3rd person)
Other examples:
- gelir gelmez = as soon as he/she comes
- çıkar çıkmaz = as soon as he/she goes out
- yapar yapmaz = as soon as he/she does (it)
Why is the first verb in the aorist (girer) while the second clause is in past tense (geldi)?
That’s the normal tense pairing for this construction. The time-clause uses the fixed aorist pattern V-(A)r V-maz, and the main clause takes the tense of the actual event. Here, the main event is in the past (geldi), so you get girer girmez + geldi: As soon as X happened, Y happened.
Could I use girince instead of girer girmez? What’s the difference?
girince means when/once (after it enters) and is less emphatic about immediacy. girer girmez specifically means the second event happened immediately. So:
- devreye girer girmez = the instant it kicked in
- devreye girince = when/once it kicked in (not necessarily immediately)
What does devreye girmek literally and idiomatically mean?
Literally, devre means circuit and -e is the dative case: into the circuit. girmek is to enter. Idiomatically, devreye girmek means to come online, to be engaged/activated, to go into operation. It’s used for systems, generators, backup plans, etc.
Why is it devreye and not devre?
Because girmek (to enter) takes the dative case (-e/-a) for the place being entered. devre + -e needs a buffer consonant y because devre ends in a vowel, so you get devreye.
Are there other set phrases like X-e girmek?
Yes, many:
- yürürlüğe girmek = to come into force (laws, regulations)
- yayına girmek = to go on air/broadcast
- hizmete girmek = to be put into service
- piyasaya girmek = to enter the market
- uykuya girmek = to fall asleep
In this sentence, are the subjects of the two clauses the same?
No. In the time clause, the subject is jeneratör; in the main clause, it’s elektrik. That’s fine in Turkish—the V-(A)r V-maz clause can have a different subject from the main clause.
Why is there no article (the/a) before jeneratör and elektrik?
Turkish has no definite/indefinite articles like the/a. Nouns appear bare. If you want to emphasize indefiniteness you can use bir (a/one), but it’s not needed here. Bare nouns are normal: Jeneratör…, Elektrik…
Can I move the clauses around or add a comma?
Yes. You can write a comma for clarity: Jeneratör devreye girer girmez, elektrik geldi. You can also front the main clause for emphasis: Elektrik, jeneratör devreye girer girmez geldi. The meaning doesn’t change.
Why is it girer and not girir? How does the aorist suffix work here?
The 3rd person aorist has two main affirmative shapes: -(A)r and -Ir (with vowel harmony). Which one a verb takes is partly lexical. For gir-, the standard form is girer, not girir. You just learn it as part of the verb’s aorist pattern (contrast: gel- → gelir, yap- → yapar, gir- → girer).
If girmez is negative, is the phrase contradicting itself?
Alone, girmez means does not enter. But in the fixed pair V-(A)r V-maz, the combination means as soon as and the negative isn’t interpreted literally. Think of it as a fossilized time expression: enter-enter-not = no sooner than enter.
Is there any difference between elektrik geldi and electricity came on/back in English?
No real difference in meaning—elektrik geldi is the standard idiomatic way to say the power came on/came back. You’ll also hear:
- Elektrikler geldi = The lights came on (colloquial, referring to household lights)
- Elektrik verildi = Power was supplied (more formal/passive)
Could I add hemen to emphasize immediacy?
Yes: Jeneratör devreye girer girmez hemen elektrik geldi. hemen strengthens the idea of immediacy, though girer girmez already implies it.
Could I use girdikten sonra instead?
You can, but it changes the nuance. girdikten sonra means after (it entered), with no built-in sense of immediacy. girer girmez is the go-to choice when you want no delay between events.
How would I generalize this pattern to other verbs?
Use V-(A)r V-maz + main clause:
- Ali gelir gelmez aradım = I called as soon as Ali arrived.
- Dışarı çıkar çıkmaz yağmur başladı = As soon as we went out, it started to rain.
- Biter bitmez haber ver = Let me know as soon as it’s finished.
Note vowel harmony:
- -ar/-maz after a back vowel: yapar yapmaz
- -er/-mez after a front vowel: girer girmez
- some verbs take -ir/-mez: gelir gelmez
Is a comma required between the clauses?
Not required, but common. Many writers add a comma after the girer girmez clause for readability, especially in longer sentences.
Could I drop elektrik and just say …girer girmez geldi?
Grammatically you can, but then geldi would mean he/she/it came, and without context it’s unclear who/what came. With elektrik, the meaning is clear and idiomatic.
What are the morphological pieces in the sentence?
- Jeneratör = generator (subject)
- devre-ye = devre (circuit) + -e (to/into) with buffer -y-
- gir-er = gir- (enter) + -er (aorist 3sg)
- gir-mez = gir- + -mez (neg. aorist 3sg)
- elektrik = electricity/power
- gel-di = gel- (come) + -di (simple past 3sg)
Can I say ışıklar yandı instead of elektrik geldi?
Yes, very natural: Jeneratör devreye girer girmez ışıklar yandı = As soon as the generator kicked in, the lights turned on. This focuses on the lights rather than power supply in general.
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