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Şarj aletimi bulamasam bile bankta oturup sohbet etmek istiyorum.

Şarj aletimi bulamasam bile bankta oturup sohbet etmek istiyorum.
Even if I can’t find my charger, I want to sit on the bench and chat.
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Questions & Answers about Şarj aletimi bulamasam bile bankta oturup sohbet etmek istiyorum.

What exactly does “bulamasam” mean, and how is it formed?

Bulamasam means “if I can’t find (it)”.

Morphology:

  • bul- = to find
  • -a- = ability/possibility suffix (“can”)
  • -ma- = negation (“not”)
  • -sa- = conditional (“if”)
  • -m = 1st person singular (I)

So bul-a-ma-sa-m → bulamasam = “if I cannot find” (if I’m unable to find it).

Why is it “bulamasam bile” and not just “bulamasam”? What does “bile” add?

Bile means “even” and here makes the whole phrase concessive:

  • bulamasam = if I can’t find it
  • bulamasam bile = even if I can’t find it / although I might not be able to find it

So bile adds the idea that despite not being able to find the charger, the main clause (wanting to sit and chat) is still true.

Why is it “şarj aletimi” and not just “şarj aletim”? What does the extra -i do?
  • şarj aleti = charger (literally “charging device”)
  • şarj aletim = my charger (-im = my)
  • şarj aletimi = my charger as a specific direct object (-i = accusative)

In Turkish, when a direct object is specific/definite, it usually takes the accusative suffix -(y)i:

  • Şarj aleti bulamıyorum. = I can’t find a charger. (any charger, non-specific)
  • Şarj aletimi bulamıyorum. = I can’t find my charger. (specific)

So şarj aletim + i → şarj aletimi.

Is there a difference between “bulamasam” and “bulmasam”?

Yes.

  • bulamasam = if I *can’t find (it) → *lack of ability / possibility
    • Maybe it’s lost, or the place is dark, etc.
  • bulmasam = if I *don’t find (it) → simple *non-happening, no explicit idea of ability
    • Could be because I don’t try, I forget, or just don’t manage to.

In many contexts they overlap, but bulamasam stresses “even if I’m unable to find it”.

Could you also say “bulamasam da” instead of “bulamasam bile”? What’s the difference?

Yes, you could say:

  • Şarj aletimi bulamasam da bankta oturup sohbet etmek istiyorum.

Both bile and da can make concessive clauses:

  • bulamasam bile ≈ even if I can’t find it (stronger, more like English “even if”)
  • bulamasam da ≈ even if I can’t find it / although I can’t find it (a bit milder, more neutral “although / even if”)

They’re very close in meaning here; bile just emphasizes the “even” a bit more.

Why is it “bankta” and not “bankda”?

The locative suffix is -da / -de / -ta / -te.
Turkish uses voicing harmony:

  • After a voiceless consonant (p, ç, t, k, f, h, s, ş), you use -ta / -te.
  • bank ends with k, which is voiceless → so you choose -ta, not -da.

Therefore:

  • bank + ta → bankta = on the bench.

(Also, note that bank in Turkish commonly means a bench, whereas banka is a bank as in a financial institution.)

What does “oturup” mean, and why is it not “oturmak ve”?

Oturup is otur- (to sit) + -up, the -ip linking suffix (spelled -up here due to vowel harmony).

This -ip form:

  • Links verbs with the same subject
  • Often implies “and (then)” or simply “and”

So:

  • bankta oturup sohbet etmek ≈ to sit on the bench and chat

You could say “banka oturmak ve sohbet etmek”, but in everyday Turkish -ip is more natural and fluent for chaining actions with the same subject.

Why is it “sohbet etmek” and not just a single verb like in English “to chat”?

Sohbet is originally a noun meaning “conversation, chat”.
To turn it into a verb (“to chat”), Turkish uses the light verb etmek (“to do/make”):

  • sohbet etmek = to chat (literally “to do chat”)

This noun + etmek pattern is very common:

  • spor yapmak = to do sports
  • temizlik yapmak = to do cleaning
  • alışveriş yapmak = to do shopping

So sohbet etmek istiyorum = I want to chat.

What is the structure “sohbet etmek istiyorum”? How does istemek work with verbs?

The pattern is:

[verb in -mek / -mak] + istemek = to want to do [verb]

Here:

  • sohbet etmek = to chat
  • istemek = to want
  • istiyorum = I want (right now, present progressive)

So sohbet etmek istiyorum = I want to chat.

You can replace sohbet etmek with almost any verb:

  • gitmek istiyorum = I want to go
  • oturmak istiyorum = I want to sit
  • konuşmak istiyorum = I want to speak
Why is it “istiyorum” and not “isterim”?

Both are forms of istemek (to want), but:

  • istiyorum = present continuous → “I (currently) want…”
    • Feels more immediate, like a present wish or plan.
  • isterim = simple present → “I (generally) want / I would like”
    • Can sound more general, habitual, or in some contexts more polite/hypothetical.

In this sentence, we’re talking about a current desire in a specific situation, so istiyorum is the natural choice.

Why is there no “ben” in the sentence? How do we know the subject is “I”?

In Turkish, the personal ending on the verb usually makes the subject pronoun optional:

  • istiyorum ends with -um, which marks 1st person singular (I).

So:

  • Ben bankta oturup sohbet etmek istiyorum.
  • Bankta oturup sohbet etmek istiyorum.

Both mean “I want to sit on the bench and chat”; the ben is dropped unless you want to emphasize “I (as opposed to someone else)”.