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Questions & Answers about Kapı duvara değiyor.
What does the ending in duvara mean?
The -a is the dative case, meaning to/toward. So duvara = to the wall. Verbs like değmek (to touch) and dokunmak (to touch) take the dative for the thing being touched.
Why is it duvara, not duvarı?
- -ı is the accusative (direct object) case, used with transitive verbs.
- değmek is intransitive and selects the dative. So it must be duvara (to the wall), not duvarı.
Does değmek always take the dative?
Yes, for the entity that is being touched. Examples:
- Eline değdim. = I touched his/her hand.
- Tavana değiyor. = It’s touching the ceiling.
What tense/aspect is değiyor?
It’s the present continuous (-iyor), used for something happening now or as an ongoing state/condition. Here it describes a current state: the door is (in a state of) touching the wall.
Can I use the simple present (değer) instead of değiyor?
You could in very specific, habitual/gnomic contexts, but it’s uncommon for physical contact. değiyor is natural for a current, observable situation. Note: değer also means “value” (noun) and “is worth” (aorist of değmek in its “to be worth” sense), so it can be confusing.
Is the word order fixed? Can I move things around?
Turkish is flexible but prefers verb-final. Variants:
- Kapı duvara değiyor. (neutral)
- Duvara kapı değiyor. (focus on “to the wall”)
- Duvara değiyor kapı. (emphatic/poetic) Meaning stays the same; word order adjusts emphasis.
How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?
- ı (in kapı) is a close back unrounded vowel [ɯ]; no English equivalent. Think of a relaxed, unrounded “oo.”
- ğ (in değiyor) doesn’t make a hard sound; it lengthens or glides the preceding vowel. değiyor sounds like “de-yee-yor.”
Why is there no word for “the” before kapı?
Turkish has no articles like “the” or “a.” Kapı can mean “a door” or “the door,” depending on context. Here, you’d usually translate it as “the door.”
How do I negate the sentence?
Use the negative of değmek: değmiyor.
- Kapı duvara değmiyor. = The door is not touching the wall.
How do I make a yes/no question?
Add the question particle mi/ mı/ mu/ mü after the verb (with vowel harmony):
- Kapı duvara değiyor mu? = Is the door touching the wall?
How do I say it in the past or future?
- Past: Kapı duvara değdi. (touched / was touching at that moment)
- Past continuous: Kapı duvara değiyordu.
- Future: Kapı duvara değecek.
- Evidential past: Kapı duvara değmiş. (apparently/it seems it touched)
What if I want to say “I’m making the door touch the wall”?
Use the causative değdirmek and the accusative on the thing you move:
- Kapıyı duvara değdiriyorum. = I’m touching the door to the wall / making the door touch the wall.
Can I use dokunmak instead of değmek?
Often yes; both mean “to touch” and both take the dative:
- Kapı duvara dokunuyor. Subtlety: dokunmak can imply a light/intentional touch; değmek can be more neutral/accidental contact. In many cases they’re interchangeable.
What’s the difference between duvara and duvarda?
- duvara = to/toward the wall (dative, target of contact/motion).
- duvarda = on/at the wall (locative, location). So Kapı duvarda would mean “The door is on/at the wall,” not “touching.”
How does plural agreement work? What about multiple doors?
- Kapılar duvara değiyor. is standard. The verb often stays singular with non-human plural subjects.
- Kapılar duvara değiyorlar. is also possible, but the plural verb is mainly used with human subjects.
Can I drop one of the nouns if it’s obvious from context?
Yes. If the subject is clear: Duvara değiyor. = “It’s touching the wall.” If the target is clear: Kapı değiyor. = “The door is touching (it).” Pronouns also work: Ona değiyor. = “It’s touching it/him/her.”
What’s the full morphological breakdown?
- Kapı = door (nominative, subject)
- duvar-a = wall-DAT (to the wall)
- değ-iyor = touch-PRG.3SG
I see people type without Turkish diacritics. Is that okay here?
It’s common informally, but diacritics matter.
- degiyor may be understood, but correct is değiyor.
- kapı (with ı) is different from kapi (with i). Use proper letters whenever possible.
Does değmek also mean “to be worth it”?
Yes, in the aorist it can mean “to be worth.”
- Değer mi? = Is it worth it? This is separate from the physical “touch” sense, though they share the same verb. Context disambiguates.