Masayı biraz sola oynatır mısın?

the table

Breakdown of Masayı biraz sola oynatır mısın?

• biraz: a little
• oynatmak: to move
• sola: to the left

Questions & Answers about Masayı biraz sola oynatır mısın?

What does each part of Masayı biraz sola oynatır mısın? mean?

A natural breakdown is:

• masa = table
• masayı = the table (direct object form)
• biraz = a little / a bit
• sola = to the left
• oynatır mısın = would you move it? / can you move it?

So the whole sentence means:

• Could you move the table a little to the left?

Very literally, it is closer to:

• Would you make the table move a little to the left?

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Why is it masayı and not just masa?

Because masayı is the definite direct object form.

In Turkish, when a noun is a specific object, it often takes the accusative ending. Here, the speaker means a particular table, so masa becomes masayı.

• masa = table
• masa-yı = the table (as the thing being moved)

The -y- is a buffer consonant. Turkish inserts it because masa ends in a vowel and the accusative ending also begins with a vowel.

So:

• masa + ı would be awkward
• Turkish uses masa + y + ı = masayı

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