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Şikâyeti abartmak yerine net örnekler verdik.

Şikâyeti abartmak yerine net örnekler verdik.
Instead of exaggerating the complaint, we gave clear examples.
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Questions & Answers about Şikâyeti abartmak yerine net örnekler verdik.

What does yerine mean here, and how does it work with verbs?

Yerine is a postposition meaning “instead of / in place of.” The pattern is:

  • X yerine Y (yaptık) = We did Y instead of X.

With verbs, X is put in the infinitive -mak/-mek:

  • abartmak yerine = instead of exaggerating

With pronouns, you use the genitive + yerine:

  • benim yerime (instead of me), onun yerine (instead of him/her)
Why does şikâyeti end in -i?

That -i is the accusative case marker, showing a specific direct object: şikâyet + i = “the complaint” (as a specific thing). In this sentence it’s the object of the infinitive abartmak inside the … yerine phrase: “instead of exaggerating the complaint.”

Note: şikâyeti can also mean “his/her complaint” (3rd person possessive). If you need that meaning clearly, say:

  • onun şikâyetini abartmak = to exaggerate his/her complaint (possessive + accusative)
Could I drop the -i and say şikâyet abartmak?
Not really. Without the accusative, it sounds odd here. You’d normally keep -i because you’re talking about a known/specific complaint. Bare şikâyet abartmak would read as generic and unidiomatic in this context.
Why is the verb in the -mak form (abartmak) and not abartmayı?

After yerine, the verb stays in the dictionary/infinitive form -mak/-mek:

  • abartmak yerine (correct)

Use -mayı/-meyi (the accusative of the -ma/-me verbal noun) with verbs like tercih etmek (to prefer):

  • … net örnekler vermeyi tercih ettik (we preferred to give clear examples)
Can I replace abartmak yerine with abartmaktansa or abartacağına?
  • abartmaktansa is a near-equivalent of “rather than exaggerating” and fits here well: Şikâyeti abartmaktansa net örnekler verdik.
  • abartacağına is often used to reproach/admonish, especially in the 2nd person: Şikâyeti abartacağına net örnekler ver. (Instead of exaggerating the complaint, give clear examples.) It’s more like telling someone what they should do instead.
Why isn’t örnekler marked with -i (accusative)? When would örnekleri be used?

örnekler is indefinite (“examples” in general), so no accusative. Use -i when the object is specific/definite:

  • Net örnekleri verdik = We gave the clear examples (the ones already known/referred to).
Does örnekler have to be plural? What if there’s only one example?

Plural is natural with örnek vermek (“give examples”). If there’s only one:

  • Net bir örnek verdik = We gave a clear example. You can also say bazı net örnekler verdik to stress “some.”
Is örnek vermek the idiomatic way to say “give an example”? Any alternatives?

Yes, örnek vermek is the default. Alternatives include:

  • örnek göstermek (very common)
  • örnek sunmak (more formal)
  • somut örnekler göstermek (to show concrete examples)
What does net mean here? Is it different from açık, somut, or spesifik?

Here net means “clear, unambiguous.” Nuances:

  • açık = clear/explicit
  • somut = concrete/tangible
  • spesifik = specific/precise (more formal/loanword) All can work depending on tone: net örnekler, açık örnekler, somut örnekler, spesifik örnekler.
Can I move the … yerine phrase elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible. Common options:

  • Şikâyeti abartmak yerine net örnekler verdik. (neutral/emphatic on the contrast)
  • Net örnekler verdik, şikâyeti abartmak yerine. (end-focus on the contrast)
  • Şikâyeti abartmak yerine biz net örnekler verdik. (adds emphasis to biz)
How do I change the tense/person on verdik?
  • I gave: verdim
  • You (sg) gave: verdin
  • He/She/It gave: verdi
  • We gave: verdik
  • You (pl) gave: verdiniz
  • They gave: verdiler (often just verdi in speech when subject is clear)

Other tenses:

  • We are giving: veriyoruz
  • We will give: vereceğiz
  • We didn’t give: vermedik
How do you pronounce şikâyet, and what’s the role of the little hat (â)?
Ş is “sh.” The â (circumflex) signals a lengthened a and can palatalize the preceding consonant. Many people omit it in casual writing (şikayet) and pronounce it the same. In careful/formal writing, şikâyet is preferred. The accusative -i follows vowel harmony (front vowel), hence şikâyet + i → şikâyeti.
If I want to say “complaints” (plural), how would I change the sentence? Any ambiguity to watch for?
  • Şikâyetleri abartmak yerine… can mean “instead of exaggerating the complaints” (definite plural). But şikâyetleri can also mean “his/her complaints” (3sg possessive + plural). Context disambiguates. To be crystal clear:
  • “the complaints”: şikâyetleri
  • “the customers’ complaints”: müşterilerin şikâyetlerini
  • “his/her complaints”: onun şikâyetlerini
What’s inside verdik morphologically? Any sound changes to know?

ver- (give) + past -di + 1pl -k → verdik. In Turkish, the past suffix shows voicing assimilation:

  • After a voiceless consonant: git-ti (not “gid-di”)
  • After a voiced/sonorant: ver-di-k → verdik