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Questions & Answers about Lütfen abartma, sakin kalalım.
What grammatical form is "abartma," and how is it built?
It’s the second-person singular negative imperative: “Don’t exaggerate.” Built from the verb stem abart- (to exaggerate) + negative imperative suffix -ma. The affirmative imperative would be abart!
Why might someone say abartmayın instead of abartma?
Abartmayın is the negative imperative for second-person plural or polite/formal singular (“you all” or “you, sir/ma’am”). Use abartma for one person you address informally; use abartmayın for a group or to be polite to one person.
Can abartma also mean “exaggeration” (a noun)?
Yes. Abartma can be a verbal noun meaning “exaggeration.” Context tells them apart:
- Imperative: Abartma! = Don’t exaggerate!
- Noun: Bu bir abartma. = This is an exaggeration.
What role does lütfen play, and where can it go?
Lütfen means “please” and softens commands. It can go at the start or end:
- Lütfen abartma.
- Abartma, lütfen. Both are common; sentence-initial position is very typical.
Why sakin kalalım and not sakin olalım?
- sakin kalalım = “let’s stay/remain calm” (we’re calm; let’s keep it that way).
- sakin olalım = “let’s become calm/calm down” (we’re not calm yet; let’s get there). The sentence emphasizes maintaining calm.
What is the form of kalalım, and how is it built?
It’s the first-person plural optative (often called the “let’s” form): kal- (stay) + -alım (let’s). Vowel harmony gives -alım/-elim: e.g., kalalım (from kal-), gidelim (from git-).
Is it normal to switch from “you” to “we” in one sentence?
Yes. Abartma addresses “you (singular, informal),” while kalalım includes the speaker (“let’s”). It’s natural to tell one person not to overreact and at the same time encourage everyone to stay calm.
How would I address a group or be polite?
Say: Lütfen abartmayın, sakin kalalım. This politely tells a group (or one person formally) “Please don’t exaggerate, let’s stay calm.”
How do I include myself in “don’t exaggerate,” too?
Use the 1st-person plural negative optative: Abartmayalım, sakin kalalım. = “Let’s not exaggerate; let’s stay calm.”
Do I need the comma? Could I use ve (“and”) instead?
The comma is common to stack two requests. Ve is possible: Lütfen abartma ve sakin kalalım. The meaning is similar; with a comma, each request stands on its own; with ve, they’re more tightly linked.
How do I pronounce the tricky bits?
- lütfen: ü like German “ü”/French “u” (rounded front vowel).
- abartma: three syllables a-bart-ma; the consonant cluster -rtm- is smooth in Turkish.
- sakin: “sa-keen.”
- kalalım: “ka-la-lum” (not “kalelim” because of vowel harmony). Turkish words typically stress the last syllable; you’ll hear strong stress at the end of abartma and kalalım.
Is sakin an adverb here?
In sakin kalalım, sakin is a predicate adjective describing “us” (we remain calm). Turkish adjectives can act adverbially in other contexts (e.g., sakin sakin konuş = “speak calmly”), but here it’s a complement to kalmak.
Are there close synonyms for abartma in this sense?
Yes: aşırıya kaçma, büyütme, dramatize etme (more colloquial/loan). E.g., Lütfen büyütme, sakin kalalım.
How polite or blunt does this sound? Any softer alternatives?
With lütfen, it’s polite but still direct. Softer options:
- Lütfen abartmayın, biraz sakin olalım.
- Abartmasak, sakin kalsak? (tentative: “What if we didn’t exaggerate and stayed calm?”)
- Biraz sakin olur musunuz? (polite request: “Would you be a bit calm?”)