Breakdown of Kestirme yoldan gidiyoruz; trafik yok.
trafik
the traffic
yok
to not exist
kestirme yoldan gitmek
to take a shortcut
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kestirme yoldan gidiyoruz; trafik yok.
What exactly does the word kestirme mean here?
kestirme means shortcut/short way. It can function as a noun or as an adjective modifying yol (road), as in kestirme yol (shortcut route). It ultimately comes from the root kes- (to cut), and the idea is “cutting across” to make the route shorter.
Why is it yoldan and not yolda or yola?
- yoldan (ablative -dan/-den) often means via/by/along a route. So kestirme yoldan gitmek = to go via the shortcut route.
- yolda (locative -da/-de) means on/at the road: kestirme yolda = on the shortcut road (location).
- yola (dative -a/-e) means to/toward the road: kestirme yola gidiyoruz = we’re going to the shortcut road (destination).
In this sentence you’re talking about the route you’re taking, so ablative -dan is the natural choice.
Can I just say kestirmeden gidiyoruz?
Yes. kestirmeden is an adverb meaning by taking a shortcut/cutting across. Both kestirme yoldan gidiyoruz and kestirmeden gidiyoruz are idiomatic.
Is kısayoldan a good synonym for kestirme yoldan?
Yes. kısayoldan gidiyoruz is also common and means the same thing. You’ll also see kısa yoldan (two words). Note that kısayol is also the standard word for a computer/keyboard shortcut.