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Questions & Answers about Kuzey rüzgarı esiyor, güneşlikleri kapattım.
Why does rüzgar have the ending -ı in Kuzey rüzgarı? Is that the accusative?
No. In kuzey rüzgarı, the -ı is the 3rd person possessive ending used in a noun–noun compound. Think of it as “the north’s wind” → “the north wind.” Structure:
- kuzey (north) + rüzgar (wind) + -ı (3sg possessive) → kuzey rüzgarı
This is a very common pattern in Turkish: yaz yağmuru (summer rain), mart rüzgarı (March wind), deniz suyu (sea water). It’s not the accusative here, and the whole phrase is the subject of esiyor.
Could I say Kuzeyden rüzgar esiyor or just Kuzeyden esiyor? What’s the difference from Kuzey rüzgarı esiyor?
All are fine, with slight nuance differences:
- Kuzey rüzgarı esiyor: emphasizes the specific type of wind (the north wind) is blowing.
- Kuzeyden rüzgar esiyor: literally “wind is blowing from the north.”
- Kuzeyden esiyor: “it’s blowing from the north”; omits “wind,” which is understood. You might also hear the specific wind name Poyraz esiyor (the northeasterly wind in Turkish meteorology).
Should kuzey be capitalized in Kuzey rüzgarı?
It’s capitalized here only because it starts the sentence. Direction words like kuzey (north), güney (south), doğu, batı are normally lowercase unless they’re part of a proper name or at the beginning of a sentence. Note that Kuzey is also a male given name in Turkish, but in this sentence it’s just “north.”
What tense is esiyor and why not eser?
- esiyor is present continuous (“is blowing”), used for what’s happening now.
- eser is the aorist (“blows”), used for general truths or habitual actions.
So: Kuzey rüzgarı esiyor = “The north wind is blowing (right now).”
Burada kışın kuzey rüzgarı eser = “Here, the north wind blows in winter.”
What does güneşlikleri mean morphologically, and why the ending -leri?
It’s a definite plural direct object:
- güneşlik (sunshade/blind) + -ler (plural) + -i (accusative) → güneşlikleri = “the blinds/sunshades.” In Turkish, definite direct objects take the accusative. Without the -i, it would be indefinite: güneşlikler kapattım (“I closed blinds”) is possible but less common; typically you’d specify quantity, e.g., birkaç güneşlik kapattım (“I closed a few blinds”).
Could güneşlikleri also mean “his/her/their sunshades”? How do I tell?
Yes, the form is ambiguous between:
- definite plural accusative: “the blinds”
- 3rd person possessive plural: “his/her sunshades” or “their sunshades” Context usually resolves it. If you need to mark possession explicitly, add the possessor:
- Onun güneşliklerini kapattım = “I closed his/her sunshades.”
- Onların güneşliklerini kapattım = “I closed their sunshades.”
What exactly does güneşlik refer to? Blinds, curtains, or a car sun visor?
It depends on context:
- In homes/offices, güneşlik often refers to blinds or roller shades (e.g., stor perde, jaluziler), i.e., something that blocks sunlight.
- In cars, güneşlik is the sun visor.
- It is not the same as perde (curtain) or panjur (exterior shutter), though casual usage overlaps regionally.
Why is it kapattım and not kapıyorum?
- kapattım is simple past (“I closed”), implying the action is completed.
- kapıyorum is present continuous (“I’m closing”), implying it’s in progress right now. The sentence presents a current situation and a completed response to it: wind is blowing now → I already closed the blinds.
How is kapattım formed, and why the double t?
Morphology: kapat- (to close) + -tı (past) + -m (1sg) → kapat-tı-m = kapattım. The double t is just the stem-final t meeting the past -tı. Phonetically, it’s [kaˈpatːɯm].
Can I use kapadım instead of kapattım?
Yes. Kapamak and kapatmak both exist; kapamak is somewhat more colloquial/shorter, and kapatmak is very common and slightly more neutral/standard. So:
- Kapadım = “I closed” (fine)
- Kapattım = “I closed” (very common)
Is it okay to join the two clauses with a comma, or should I use ve or something like bu yüzden?
A comma is fine in informal writing and suggests a cause → result flow. Alternatives:
- Kuzey rüzgarı esiyor ve güneşlikleri kapattım. (and)
- Kuzey rüzgarı esiyor; bu yüzden güneşlikleri kapattım. (therefore)
- Kuzey rüzgarı esiyor, ben de güneşlikleri kapattım. (I, too/so, closed them)
How can I say “because the north wind is blowing, I closed the blinds” with a sub clause?
Use -DIK nominalization with için:
- Kuzey rüzgarı estiği için güneşlikleri kapattım.
Here estiği comes from es-
- -DIK (realized as -tiğ(i) after consonant alternations) + 3sg possessive. This construction covers “because it is/was blowing” depending on context.
Is rüzgar ever written as rüzgâr?
Yes. Both rüzgar and rüzgâr are seen. The circumflex (â) can mark vowel length/palatalization historically; many modern texts omit it. Use either; you’ll be understood.
Could I change the word order, like Kapattım güneşlikleri or add ben?
Yes. Turkish word order is flexible for emphasis:
- Neutral/new info last: Güneşlikleri kapattım.
- Emphasize the doer: Ben güneşlikleri kapattım.
- Contrastive focus on “I (not someone else)”: Güneşlikleri ben kapattım.
- Kapattım güneşlikleri is possible in speech, often as an afterthought emphasis.