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Questions & Answers about Lütfen bir adım geri gelir misin?
What does the verb form in gelir misin literally mean, and how does it function as a request?
- Literal breakdown: gel-ir mi-sin? = come-Aorist Q-2sg → “Do you come?”
- In Turkish, the Aorist + question (-r mi-sin?) is a standard, soft way to make a polite request: Kapatır mısın? (Would you close it?), Bakar mısın? (Would you take a look?).
- So gelir misin means “Would you come,” which here is “Would you step back (come back)?”
How polite is this sentence, and how could I make it more formal or more casual?
- As written, it’s politely casual, especially with Lütfen.
- More formal (to a stranger/older person or to several people): Lütfen bir adım geri gelir misiniz?
- More casual/direct (to a friend): Bir adım geri gelir misin? or even imperative: Bir adım geri gel.
- Imperative + lütfen is still polite but more directive: Lütfen bir adım geri gel.
Why use gelmek (come) here? Would gitmek (go) be better if I want them to move away from me?
- gelmek is motion “toward” the speaker, while gitmek is “away.”
- In everyday speech, people do say bir adım geri gelir misin? to mean “step back,” but if you clearly want the person to move away from you/forward direction, many find gitmek more aligned with that:
- Lütfen bir adım geri gider misin? (Would you go one step back?)
- Other very natural alternatives for “step back” regardless of toward/away nuance:
- Biraz/bir adım geri durur musun? (Would you stand back a bit/one step?)
- Bir adım geri atar mısın? (Would you take one step back?)
- Biraz geri çekilir misin? (Would you move back/pull back a bit?)
Could I say gelebilir misin or gidebilir misin instead? What’s the nuance?
- gelebilir misin / gidebilir misin = “Can you come/go,” which can sound like asking about ability/possibility.
- As a request, it’s common and polite too.
- Nuance:
- gelir/gider misin = classic request form (“Would you …?”), often the go-to.
- gelebilir/gidebilir misin = “Could you/Can you …?”, slightly more about ability; still polite in daily use.
Why is mi separate in gelir misin? How does spelling work with the question particle?
- The yes–no question particle mi (with vowel harmony: mi/mı/mu/mü) is written as a separate word.
- Personal endings attach to the particle, so you get one separate word like misin, misiniz, müsün, etc.
- Examples:
- gelir misin? (2sg)
- gelir misiniz? (2pl/formal)
- anlar mısın? (from anla-; last vowel a → mı)
Does bir mean “one” or “a” here? Is bir adım exactly one step or just “a step”?
- bir can mean “one” or function like the article “a.”
- bir adım typically means exactly “one step.”
- If you want vagueness “a bit,” say biraz: Biraz geri gider misin?
- Prosody matters: stressing bir can emphasize “one single step.”
Why geri and not geriye? Are both correct?
- Both occur.
- geri often works as an adverb: geri gelmek (to come back), geri gitmek (to go back).
- geriye is directional (“backwards/to the back”): geriye doğru bir adım (one step backward).
- Your sentence is fine with geri; Bir adım geriye gelir misin? is also acceptable.
Is adım here the same word as adım in Adım Ali (“My name is Ali”)?
- They are homographs:
- adım = “step” (from adım atmak, to take a step)
- adım = “my name” (from ad
- -ım, my name)
- Context disambiguates: with geri, birkaç, atmak, it’s “step”; with Adım …, it’s “my name.”
Can I drop Lütfen and still be polite?
- Yes. Bir adım geri gelir misin? is already a polite request due to the -r misin form.
- Lütfen adds an extra layer of politeness/emphasis.
What’s a concise, very common alternative for “Please step back (a bit)”?
- Extremely common: Lütfen biraz geri durur musun?
- Also: Lütfen biraz geri çekilir misin?
- If you want to keep “one step”: Lütfen bir adım geri atar mısın?
How do I address multiple people?
- Use the plural/formal ending -siniz: Lütfen bir adım geri gelir misiniz?
- Other variants: Lütfen biraz geri durur musunuz?, Lütfen birkaç adım geri gider misiniz?
Could this be misunderstood as “come back here (return)” rather than “step back”?
- geri gelmek does mean “come back (return),” so context matters.
- Adding bir adım or biraz makes the “step back” meaning clear.
- To avoid any ambiguity about direction relative to the speaker, geri durmak / geri gitmek / geri atmak are unambiguous for “move/stand back.”
What’s the stress and pronunciation I should aim for?
- Lütfen: front rounded ü; say [LYOOT-fen], stress on the first syllable.
- adım: dotless ı ([ɯ], like the vowel in Turkish kız), so [a-Dɯm].
- geri: [GE-ri] with a tapped/flapped r.
- gelir misin: stress often falls on the question particle; pronounce [ge-LIR mi-SIN].
- Keep mi as a separate word in speaking rhythm, but it cliticizes phonologically.
Could I change the word order, especially for Lütfen?
- Yes. Common options:
- Lütfen bir adım geri gelir misin?
- Bir adım geri gelir misin, lütfen?
- Bir adım geri, lütfen. (elliptical, very natural in crowds)
- The default adverbial phrase before the verb (… geri … gelir misin) is typical.
Is there a difference between geri, arka, and arkaya?
- geri: adverb “back, backwards” (direction/motion or position).
- arka: noun “the back/rear” (the back side of something).
- arkaya: “to the back (side),” directional case of arka.
- For “step back,” use geri/geriye; arka/arkaya talk about the backside of a place/object.
How would I say “a few steps back” or “two steps back”?
- Lütfen birkaç adım geri gider misin? (a few steps back)
- Lütfen iki adım geri atar mısın? (two steps back)
What would be natural replies if someone says this to me?
- Acceptance: Tabii, Olur, Tamam, Tabii ki.
- Then you just do it.
- You wouldn’t usually reply with Gelirim/Giderim; those sound like statements of habit/ability rather than immediate compliance.