Questions & Answers about Ben arkadaşlarımla tiyatroya gidiyorum.
Why do we use Ben when gidiyorum already means I am going?
In Turkish, the verb ending already shows the subject:
- gidiyorum = git- (go) + -iyor (present continuous) + -um (I)
So the sentence would still be grammatically correct as:
- Arkadaşlarımla tiyatroya gidiyorum.
Using Ben makes the subject I more explicit and is often used:
- at the beginning of a conversation,
- for emphasis (e.g. I, not someone else),
- when contrasting with others (Ben gidiyorum, sen kalıyorsun).
So Ben is not required grammatically, but it is natural and often used in speech.
What exactly does arkadaşlarımla mean, and how is it built?
Arkadaşlarımla is one word but contains several parts:
- arkadaş = friend
- -lar = plural suffix → arkadaşlar = friends
- -ım = my (1st person singular possessive) → arkadaşlarım = my friends
- -la / -le = with (attached form of ile)
Because arkadaşlarım ends in a consonant, it becomes arkadaşlarım + la → arkadaşlarımla.
So arkadaş-lar-ım-la literally means with my friends.
Why is it arkadaşlarımla and not arkadaşlarla?