Bu ceketin bedeni bana küçük; başka bir beden isteyeceğim.

Breakdown of Bu ceketin bedeni bana küçük; başka bir beden isteyeceğim.

olmak
to be
bu
this
bir
a
küçük
small
başka
other
ceket
the jacket
ben
me
-a
to
-in
of
istemek
to ask for
-i
its
beden
the size
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Questions & Answers about Bu ceketin bedeni bana küçük; başka bir beden isteyeceğim.

Why do we say Bu ceketin bedeni with two suffixes?

Turkish uses a genitive–possessive chain to express “X’s Y.”

  • The possessor takes genitive: ceket + -in → ceketin (the jacket’s).
  • The possessed noun takes 3rd person possessive: beden + -i → bedeni (its size). So Bu ceketin bedeni literally means “the size of this jacket.” This double-marking is required in standard Turkish (e.g., arabanın kapısı “the car’s door,” okulun müdürü “the school’s principal”).
Can I just say Bu ceket bana küçük instead of mentioning bedeni?
Yes, and that’s actually the more common, natural way to say it. Bu ceket bana küçük = “This jacket is small on me.” Adding bedeni emphasizes that it’s specifically the size that’s the issue, but in everyday speech people usually omit it.
Why is it bana küçük and not ben küçüküm, benim için küçük, or bende küçük?
  • bana küçük (to me small) is the idiomatic way to say “small on me/for me” for clothes and many evaluations.
  • ben küçüküm means “I am small,” not “the jacket is small on me.”
  • benim için küçük can mean “small for me,” but it sounds heavier or more general; for clothing fit, bana is preferred.
  • bende küçük is not used for fit. bende typically means “on me/with me” in the sense of possession: Bende yok = “I don’t have it.”
Why is it küçük and not küçüğü?

When an adjective is used as a predicate (“is small”), it stays bare: küçük. The form küçüğü nominalizes it and means “the small one.” For example:

  • Bu ceket küçük. = This jacket is small.
  • Küçüğü var mı? = Is there a smaller one?
What’s the difference between başka bir beden and başka beden?

Both are used.

  • başka bir beden emphasizes “one other/different size” (another size).
  • başka beden is a bit more general (“a different size”). In many shop contexts they’re interchangeable.
Why doesn’t beden take the accusative -(i) in başka bir beden isteyeceğim?

In Turkish, the direct object gets accusative -(i) only if it’s specific/definite. Here it’s indefinite (“another size,” not a particular one), so it remains unmarked:

  • Indefinite: Başka bir beden isteyeceğim.
  • Definite/specific: Başka bedeni isteyeceğim. (e.g., a particular size you both know)
How is isteyeceğim formed?

From the verb istemek (to want/ask for):

  • stem: iste-
  • future: -ecek (front-vowel harmony → -ecek)
  • buffer consonant: -y- (to avoid vowel clash)
  • 1st person singular: -im Combine: iste- + -ecek + -y- + -im → isteyeceğim = “I will ask (for).”
Would istiyorum or isterim be better here?

Depends on nuance:

  • isteyeceğim = I will ask for (a decided plan in the near future).
  • istiyorum = I want (to ask for) another size (immediate desire; very common).
  • isterim (aorist) = I would like (politer, more tentative). All are possible; in a store, istiyorum/isterim often sound more polite in direct requests.
Are there more natural or polite ways to say this to a shop assistant?

Common, polite options:

  • Bu ceket bana küçük. Bir beden büyüğünü alabilir miyim?
  • Bunun bir beden büyüğü var mı?
  • Bir beden büyüğünü getirebilir misiniz?
  • Başka bir beden var mı? These are all friendly and idiomatic.
Is beden always “size”? When do I use numara?
  • beden is for clothing sizes (shirts, jackets, pants): S beden, 38 beden.
  • numara is for shoes, rings, and some accessories: 43 numara ayakkabı, 12 numara yüzük.
When should I use dar/bol instead of küçük/büyük?
  • küçük/büyük = overall size judgment (small/large on me).
  • dar = too tight; bol = too loose.
  • Also useful: kısa (too short), uzun (too long). Examples: Bana dar/bol/kısa/uzun.
Is the semicolon necessary in Turkish?

No. It’s fine stylistically to link two closely related clauses, but you can also use:

  • A period: … bana küçük. Başka bir beden isteyeceğim.
  • A connector: … bana küçük, o yüzden başka bir beden isteyeceğim.
Any apostrophe rules here? Should it be ceket’in?
No apostrophe. Apostrophes attach only to proper nouns when adding suffixes (e.g., Ankara’nın). Common nouns like ceket take suffixes without an apostrophe: ceketin.
Can I say Benim bedenim küçük to express the same idea?
That’s ambiguous and usually means “My body is small.” For clothing size you can say Bedenim 38 or just stick with fit expressions like Bu ceket bana küçük.
Where does bana go? Can I put it at the end?
The natural placement is before the adjective: Bu ceket bana küçük. Variants like Bu ceket küçük bana are possible but sound marked/poetic. Stick to X bana küçük/büyük/dar/bol.
Is Bunun bedeni bana küçük also correct?
Yes. Bunun means “this one’s,” so Bunun bedeni bana küçük = “This one’s size is small on me.” It’s a compact, very common alternative when pointing at an item.