Breakdown of Kepçe masaya değince iz bırakıyor, dikkat et.
masa
the table
dikkat etmek
to be careful
bırakmak
to leave
-ince
when
Questions & Answers about Kepçe masaya değince iz bırakıyor, dikkat et.
What does the form değince mean and how is it formed?
- Suffix -(y)ince/ınca/unce/ünce means when/once/whenever.
- Formation: stem değ- (from değmek = to touch) + -ince (by vowel harmony) → değince = when it touches.
Why is it masaya and not masayı or masada?
- değmek and dokunmak take the dative case (-e/-a): you touch something to it → bir şeye değmek/dokunmak.
- Therefore, masaya (to the table) is correct. masayı (accusative) would be wrong here; masada means at/on the table (location).
Can I use dokununca instead of değince? Any nuance?
- Yes: masaya dokununca also means when it touches the table.
- Nuance: değmek is neutral physical contact; dokunmak can also mean to affect/irritate/hurt (e.g., food “disagrees with” someone). In this warning, both are fine.