Breakdown of Bu dergiyi görünce okumadan edemiyorum.
Questions & Answers about Bu dergiyi görünce okumadan edemiyorum.
What is the sentence broken down literally?
A very close breakdown is:
- Bu dergiyi = this magazine
- definite object marker
- görünce = when/once I see
- okumadan = without reading
- edemiyorum = I can’t do/manage
So the literal sense is:
- When I see this magazine, I can’t manage without reading it
In natural English, this becomes something like:
- Whenever I see this magazine, I can’t help reading it.
Why does dergi become dergiyi?
Because it is a definite direct object.
In Turkish, when a direct object is specific or definite, it usually takes the accusative ending:
- dergi = magazine
- dergiyi = the magazine / this specific magazine
Here, bu dergi is already specific because of bu (this), so the object takes the accusative:
- Bu dergiyi görünce... = When I see this magazine...
This is very normal Turkish grammar.
Is görünce from görmek or from görünmek?
It is from görmek = to see.
This often confuses learners because görünce looks a bit like it might come from görünmek = to appear / to be seen, but it does not.
Here the form is:
- gör-
- -ünce
The ending -ince / -ınca / -ünce / -unca changes by vowel harmony.
So:
- görmek → görünce = when [someone] sees
If it came from görünmek, the form would be different, such as görününce.
What does the ending -ince mean in görünce?
The ending -ince / -ınca / -ünce / -unca often means:
- when
- once
- as soon as
So:
- görünce = when I see / when one sees / upon seeing
It creates a kind of time clause without needing a separate word like when.
Compare:
- Bu dergiyi görünce... = When I see this magazine...
This structure is very common in Turkish.
Does görünce specifically mean when I see, even though there is no ben?
Yes. The subject is understood from context.
Turkish often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb form already makes the subject clear. In this sentence, the main verb is:
- edemiyorum = I can’t
Because the main clause is first person singular, the natural reading is:
- Bu dergiyi görünce = when I see this magazine
So the full implied meaning is:
- When I see this magazine, I can’t help reading it.
What exactly does okumadan edemiyorum mean?
This is a very important Turkish pattern:
- -madan / -meden edememek
It means:
- cannot help doing
- cannot refrain from doing
- cannot resist doing
So:
- okumadan edemiyorum literally = I can’t do/manage without reading
- natural meaning = I can’t help reading it
This is not just ordinary negation. It is a set expression with a special meaning.
Why is there a negative form if the meaning is basically positive?
Because Turkish is expressing the idea as not being able to avoid the action.
Look at the pieces:
- okumadan = without reading
- edemiyorum = I can’t manage / I’m unable
Together:
- I’m unable to leave it unread
- I can’t manage not to read it
- I can’t help reading it
So the negative form does not mean the speaker does not read it. It means the opposite: the speaker feels unable to resist reading it.
Why can’t I just say okuyamıyorum?
Because okuyamıyorum means something very different.
- okuyamıyorum = I can’t read
- maybe because the text is too small
- maybe because I don’t know the language
- maybe because I don’t have time or ability
But:
- okumadan edemiyorum = I can’t help reading it
- I end up reading it
- I can’t resist it
So:
- okuyamıyorum = inability to perform the action
- okumadan edemiyorum = inability to avoid the action
What does -madan mean by itself?
By itself, -madan / -meden usually means:
- without doing
- before doing
Examples:
- yemeden çıktım = I left without eating
- sormadan aldı = He took it without asking
In this sentence:
- okumadan = without reading
But with edememek, it becomes part of the common pattern:
- okumadan edememek = to be unable not to read / to be unable to resist reading
So the meaning comes from the whole combination, not from -madan alone.
Is bu dergiyi the object of görmek or okumak?
Primarily, it is the object of görmek in the first part:
- bu dergiyi görünce = when I see this magazine
But it is also understood as the thing being read in the second part:
- [onu] okumadan edemiyorum = I can’t help reading [it]
Turkish often avoids repeating something that is already clear. So the object is stated once, and the listener understands it for the second verb too.
If you repeated it, it could sound like:
- Bu dergiyi görünce onu okumadan edemiyorum
That is possible, but the original version is more natural and smoother.
Why is the word order like this?
Turkish often puts the time or circumstance clause first, then the main statement after it.
So the structure is:
- Bu dergiyi görünce = time/circumstance: when I see this magazine
- okumadan edemiyorum = main statement: I can’t help reading it
This order is very natural in Turkish.
English often does the same:
- When I see this magazine, I can’t help reading it.
So although the details of the grammar differ, the overall flow is not so strange for an English speaker.
Could this sentence be said in another way?
Yes. Here are some alternatives with slightly different nuance:
Bu dergiyi görünce mutlaka okuyorum.
= When I see this magazine, I definitely read it.
This is simpler, but less expressive.Bu dergiyi görünce kendimi okumaktan alamıyorum.
= When I see this magazine, I can’t stop myself from reading it.
This is very close in meaning.Bu dergiyi görünce okumaya dayanamıyorum.
= roughly When I see this magazine, I can’t resist reading it.
Also possible, with a slightly different feel.
The original okumadan edemiyorum is a very idiomatic and natural way to say I can’t help reading it.
Is the sentence talking about one specific occasion or a repeated habit?
Usually it suggests a habitual reaction:
- Whenever I see this magazine, I can’t help reading it
That is because görünce often works very naturally for repeated situations too, depending on context.
So even though the form can also fit a single occasion, the most natural reading here is something like:
- Every time I see this magazine, I end up reading it.
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