Questions & Answers about Espri işitince herkes gülüyor.
What does the suffix -ince mean in işitince, and how is it formed?
-ince/-ınca/-ünce/-unca is a temporal converb meaning roughly when/once/whenever. It attaches to the verb stem: işit- + -ince → işitince. Vowel harmony picks the form (-ince here because the last vowel is front, i). It often implies an immediate trigger: upon hearing.
Who is the subject of işitince? There’s no pronoun—how do we know who is hearing?
In -ince clauses, the subject is usually controlled by the main clause subject. Here it’s herkes, so the sense is “when everyone hears (a joke).” If you needed a different subject, you’d normally use another type of time clause (e.g., a -DIK … -da construction) and mark the subject explicitly.
Why is it espri and not espriyi? When do I add the accusative -yi?
Bare espri is an indefinite, generic object: “a joke/any joke.” Use accusative espriyi if it’s definite/specific: “the joke.” So:
- Espri işitince … = whenever they hear a joke (in general).
- Espriyi işitince … = when they hear the joke (a particular one).
Can I say bir espri işitince? Does bir change the meaning?