Breakdown of Onu boşuna bekledik, çünkü toplantı çoktan iptal edilmişti.
çünkü
because
beklemek
to wait
toplantı
the meeting
iptal edilmek
to be canceled
Questions & Answers about Onu boşuna bekledik, çünkü toplantı çoktan iptal edilmişti.
Why is it onu after bekledik? In English we say wait for him/her/it.
Because Turkish beklemek takes a direct object, not a preposition like for.
- onu beklemek = to wait for him / her / it
- literally, Turkish structures it more like to wait him/her/it
So:
- Onu bekledik = We waited for him/her/it
This is a very common difference from English. Turkish often expresses things directly where English uses a preposition.
What does onu mean exactly here?
Onu is the accusative form of o.
- o = he / she / it / that
- onu = him / her / it / that one
Turkish does not mark gender in pronouns, so onu could mean:
- him
- her
- it
Only context tells you which one is meant.
What does boşuna mean?
Boşuna means:
- in vain
- for nothing
- needlessly
- for no reason
So Onu boşuna bekledik means we waited, but it was pointless.
A few similar examples:
- Boşuna geldim. = I came for nothing.
- Boşuna uğraşma. = Don’t bother. / Don’t try in vain.