Lütfen pencereyi kapat; rüzgâr perdeyi savurup duruyor.

Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Turkish now

Questions & Answers about Lütfen pencereyi kapat; rüzgâr perdeyi savurup duruyor.

What does the semicolon do here? Could I use something else?

It links two closely related independent clauses and lets the second clause give the reason for the first without an explicit connector. Alternatives:

  • Lütfen pencereyi kapat, çünkü rüzgâr perdeyi savurup duruyor.
  • Lütfen pencereyi kapat. Rüzgâr perdeyi savurup duruyor.
  • A comma alone is common in informal writing, but the semicolon is clearer and more formal for this cause–effect relation.
Why are pencereyi and perdeyi marked with -yi?

Because they are definite direct objects. Turkish marks specific/definite direct objects with the accusative suffix -(y)ı/i/u/ü (vowel-harmonized).

  • We mean the window and the curtain in this room, so: pencereyi, perdeyi.
  • If the object were indefinite, you would typically leave it unmarked (e.g., su içiyorum = I’m drinking water).
What is the extra y in pencereyi and perdeyi?

It’s the buffer consonant used when a vowel-final word takes a vowel-initial suffix.

  • pencere + i → pencereyi
  • perde + i → perdeyi This avoids a vowel–vowel clash. The same happens in kapı + ı → kapıyı.
Is Lütfen pencereyi kapat polite enough?

Yes. Lütfen softens the bare imperative and is fine in everyday speech. For extra politeness or formality, use a question form:

  • To one person: Lütfen pencereyi kapatır mısın? / …kapatabilir misin?
  • To more than one person or formally to one person: Lütfen pencereyi kapatır mısınız?
Why is there no pronoun like sen?

Imperatives in Turkish don’t need a subject pronoun; sen is understood with kapat. You add the pronoun only for emphasis or contrast:

  • Sen pencereyi kapat. (You, not someone else.) For plural/polite imperative, use kapatın (and you can still add lütfen).
What exactly does savurup duruyor mean compared to savuruyor?
  • savuruyor: is tossing/whipping (simple ongoing action).
  • savurup duruyor: keeps on tossing/whipping repeatedly or incessantly. The pattern V-(y)ıp durmak adds a sense of persistence, often with mild irritation or emphasis on repetition.
Could I say savurmaya devam ediyor instead? Any nuance?

Yes: Rüzgâr perdeyi savurmaya devam ediyor is grammatical and means the wind continues to toss the curtain. Nuance:

  • …savurup duruyor is more colloquial and highlights repeated/ongoing action, often sounding more emotive.
  • …devam ediyor is more neutral/formal and simply states continuity.
Could I use the passive/intransitive form, like Perde savruluyor?

Yes:

  • Perde savruluyor = The curtain is being blown about/flapping.
  • If you want to mention the cause: Rüzgâr yüzünden perde savruluyor or keep the original causative frame Rüzgâr perdeyi savuruyor/savurup duruyor if you want the wind as the explicit agent.
What is the word order here, and can I move things around?

Default neutral order is Subject–Object–Verb:

  • Rüzgâr perdeyi savurup duruyor. You can front elements for focus or contrast:
  • Perdeyi rüzgâr savurup duruyor. (Focus on the curtain or on who’s doing it.) The verb normally stays at the end in standard Turkish.
Why is it savurup, not savurıp/savürüp?
Because of vowel harmony in the converb -(y)ıp/-(y)ip/-(y)up/-(y)üp. The last vowel of savur- is u, so the suffix surfaces as -up: savur-up.
How is rüzgâr spelled and pronounced? Is rüzgar also correct?

Both rüzgâr and rüzgar are accepted. The circumflex (â) traditionally indicates a slightly lengthened or palatalized vowel in careful speech, but many modern texts omit it. Pronunciation tips:

  • ü as in German/French ü (rounded front vowel).
  • â may lengthen the vowel slightly; without it the word is still pronounced naturally by most speakers.
  • The g here is a regular hard g (not the soft ğ).
What does duruyor mean by itself, and why is it here?
On its own, duruyor = is standing/staying/stopping (from durmak). In the construction V-(y)ıp durmak, durmak acts as an auxiliary to express persistence/repetition, thus savurup duruyor = keeps tossing/whipping.
Could I drop the subject and say only Perdeyi savurup duruyor?
Grammatically yes, because Turkish allows null subjects when context makes them clear. But without prior mention, Perdeyi savurup duruyor is ambiguous (who/what is doing it?). Keeping Rüzgâr avoids ambiguity.
Why kapat and not kapa?

Both verbs exist: kapatmak and kapamak. In contemporary standard usage, kapat- is the default for closing doors/windows/appliances:

  • Pencereyi kapat. is the most natural choice. Kapa! occurs in set phrases (e.g., Ağzını kapa!) and some dialectal/colloquial uses, but for windows kapat is strongly preferred.
What tense/aspect is duruyor? How would I say it in the past?

duruyor is present continuous. To put the whole auxiliary construction in the past:

  • Rüzgâr perdeyi savurup duruyordu. = The wind kept tossing the curtain (was persistently doing so).