Benim aramam seni mutlu etti mi?

Did my calling make you happy?

Breakdown of Benim aramam seni mutlu etti mi?

• benim: my
• mutlu etmek: to make happy
• seni: you
• arama: the call

Questions & Answers about Benim aramam seni mutlu etti mi?

What exactly is the form and role of aramam here?

It’s a nominalized verb: ara-ma-m = call/search + nominalizer -ma/-me + 1sg possessive -m → “my calling.” In this sentence, benim aramam functions as a noun phrase (the subject), meaning “my calling.” Turkish often turns verb phrases into nouns with -ma/-me so they can be subjects or objects.

Why is it benim aramam (genitive + possessive) instead of just ben aramak?

When Turkish turns a clause into a noun phrase, the “subject” of that clause takes genitive, and the verb-noun takes a possessive suffix. So:

• benim (genitive of “I”) + ara-ma-m (“my calling”) Using ben aramak is ungrammatical here; the subject must be genitive and the verb nominalized with a possessive suffix.

Do I have to say benim? Can I drop it?

You can drop it if context makes the subject clear: Aramam seni mutlu etti mi? This still means “Did my calling make you happy?” Keeping benim adds emphasis or helps disambiguate whose action you’re talking about, especially if multiple people are in play (e.g., Ali’nin araması mı, benim aramam mı seni mutlu etti?).

Isn’t aramam also “I don’t call”? How do I tell the difference?

Yes, aramam can be:

• Nominalized: ara-ma-m = “my calling.”
• Finite verb (negative aorist): ar-a-ma-m = “I don’t/won’t (generally) call.” Disambiguation comes from context and syntax. After a genitive possessor (benim aramam), it’s clearly the nominalized form. The finite negative verb wouldn’t combine with seni mutlu etti the way the noun phrase does.

Why is it seni, not sen or sana?

Because mutlu etmek (“to make [someone] happy”) takes a direct object in the accusative:

• sen-i = you-ACC (direct object) → seni mutlu etmek = “to make you happy.”
• sen is nominative (subject form).
• sana is dative (“to you”), which doesn’t fit with mutlu etmek.

Could I say sizi for politeness?

Yes. Replace seni with sizi for formal singular or plural: Benim aramam sizi mutlu etti mi? The rest of the sentence stays the same.

What is mutlu etti morphologically and semantically?

• mutlu etmek = “to make (someone) happy,” a common adjective + light verb (etmek) combination.
• et-ti = do/make + past -di, with consonant assimilation t + di → tti. So mutlu etti = “(it) made (someone) happy.”

Why is it etti (third person) and not ettim (first person)?

The grammatical subject is the noun phrase benim aramam (“my calling”), which is third-person singular as a phrase. So the verb agrees in 3rd singular: etti. If you said ettim, it would mean “I made (you) happy,” which is not what this sentence says.

How does the question particle mi work here?

• mi/mı/mu/mü is a yes/no question clitic. It is written separately and follows the word it attaches to.
• By default, it follows the predicate: mutlu etti mi?
• It obeys vowel harmony with the preceding word’s last vowel: after etti (last vowel e), you use mi.

Can I move mi to focus different parts?

Yes, moving mi changes focus:

• Predicate focus (neutral): Benim aramam seni mutlu etti mi?
• Subject focus: Benim aramam mı seni mutlu etti? (“Was it my calling (as opposed to something else) that made you happy?”)
• Object focus: Seni mi mutlu etti? (“Was it you (as opposed to someone else) that it made happy?”)
• Adjective focus: Seni mutlu mu etti? (“Did it make you happy (as opposed to sad, etc.)?”)

Why is it mi, not mı/mu/mü?

Pick the variant that matches the last vowel of the preceding word:

• After back unrounded a: mı
• After front unrounded e/i: mi
• After back rounded o/u: mu
• After front rounded ö/ü: mü Here the preceding word is etti (last vowel e), so mi is correct.

What about word order? Could I start with seni?

Turkish word order is flexible, and constituents can be fronted for emphasis:

• Seni benim aramam mutlu etti mi? (Object emphasis)
• Benim aramam seni mutlu etti mi? (Neutral)
• Benim aramam mı seni mutlu etti? (Subject focus) The finite verb typically comes near the end, and mi follows the focused element or the predicate.

Is there a more explicit “phone” version, like “my phoning”?

Yes:

• Benim telefon etmem seni mutlu etti mi? (“Did my phoning you make you happy?”) Here telefon etmek is a compound verb; to nominalize it, attach the possessive to the light verb: telefon et-me-m (“my phoning”).

How would I say it in the negative or habitual aspect?

• Negative (past): Benim aramam seni mutlu etmedi mi? (“Didn’t my calling make you happy?”)
• Habitual/present: Benim aramam seni mutlu ediyor mu? (“Does my calling make you happy (generally)?”)

Are there alternative ways to express the same idea?

Close paraphrases include:

• Aradığım için mutlu oldun mu? (“Were you happy because I called?”)
• Arayınca mutlu oldun mu? (“Did you get happy when I called?”)
• Aradığımda mutlu oldun mu? (“Were you happy when I called?”) These shift the structure (cause vs. time) but convey a similar idea.

Can you break down the whole sentence morphologically?

• Ben-im = I-GEN (“my”)
• ara-ma-m = call-NMLZ-1SG.POSS (“my calling”)
• sen-i = you-ACC
• mutlu = happy
• et-ti = do/make-PAST.3SG
• mi = yes/no question clitic (harmonized to the preceding vowel)

Altogether: “(As for) my calling, did it make you happy?”