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Questions & Answers about Ben geç kaldığımı itiraf ettim.
What does the ending in kaldığımı mean?
It packages the clause “that I was late” into a noun phrase so it can be the object of itiraf ettim. Breakdown: kal- (root “stay/be late” with geç), -DIK (nominalizer “that”), -(I)m (1st person subject of the embedded clause, “I”), -(I) (accusative, marking the whole clause as the direct object). So geç kal-dığ-ım-ı ≈ “that I was late.”
Why is there a ğ in kaldığımı?
Because the nominalizer -DIK ends in -k, and when another vowel-initial suffix follows (like the possessive -ım), that final -k softens to -ğ: kal-dık + ım → kaldığım; then add accusative -ı → kaldığımı. This is a regular sound change in Turkish.
Why is kaldığımı in the accusative?
The verb itiraf etmek takes a direct object (what you confess). A nominalized clause functions like a definite noun phrase, so it gets accusative -(y)I: geç kaldığımı. Leaving off the accusative here sounds wrong.
Do I need the subject pronoun Ben?
No. Ben is optional. Person is already shown twice: on the main verb (etti-m) and inside the embedded clause (-ım in kaldığımı). Using Ben adds emphasis (“I, as opposed to someone else”).