Breakdown of Ne kadar şaşkın olursam olayım, önce sakinleşmek istiyorum.
olmak
to be
istemek
to want
önce
first
sakinleşmek
to calm down
Questions & Answers about Ne kadar şaşkın olursam olayım, önce sakinleşmek istiyorum.
What does the pattern "Ne kadar ... olursam olayım" mean?
It expresses a concessive idea: "no matter how ... I am/may be." Here, Ne kadar şaşkın olursam olayım means "No matter how bewildered I may be." You concede the state (being surprised to any degree) but go on to state your main point.
Why are both verbs "olursam" and "olayım" used together?
This is a fixed, emphatic concessive pattern: conditional + optative of the verb ol-.
- olursam = if I am/become
- olayım = may/let me be (optative) Together they mean "however I may be," not two separate actions. It’s similar in force to "even if I’m X (to any degree)."
Can I replace it with "Ne kadar şaşkın olsam da"?
Yes. Ne kadar şaşkın olsam da, ... is a very common and slightly simpler alternative with the same meaning: "Even if/however surprised I am, ..." The "olursam olayım" version is a bit more emphatic/formulaic.
What about "Her ne kadar ... olsa da"? Is that the same?
Close, but slightly different in feel. Her ne kadar şaşkın olsam da, ... means "Although I’m very/really surprised, ..." It’s often a bit more formal. Ne kadar ... tends to mean "no matter how ...", highlighting degree; her ne kadar ... olsa da is more like "although."
Why do we need "ol-" with an adjective like "şaşkın"?