Sana söz veriyorum.

you

Breakdown of Sana söz veriyorum.

• -a: to
• söz vermek: to promise

Questions & Answers about Sana söz veriyorum.

What does each word literally mean in Sana söz veriyorum?

• sana = to you (dative form of sen)
• söz = word; promise
• veriyorum = I am giving (verb stem ver- give + progressive -iyor
  • 1st person -um) Literally: “I am giving a promise to you.”

Why is it sana and not seni?

Because Turkish treats the person who receives something as a dative object (to someone). You “give a promise to you,” hence sana. Seni is accusative and would be used for direct objects (e.g., Seni görüyorum = I see you).

Is sana irregular? Why not sene?

Yes—first and second person singular pronouns are irregular in the dative:

• ben → bana (not “bene”)
• sen → sana (not “sene”) Third person is regular: o → ona.

Do I need to say Ben?

No. The verb ending -um already shows the subject is “I.” Ben sana söz veriyorum is fine for emphasis, but most of the time Sana söz veriyorum is natural.

Why the progressive -iyor (veriyorum) for a promise?