Breakdown of Bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğunu düşünüyorum.
Questions & Answers about Bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğunu düşünüyorum.
What does değerlendirmenin mean, and why does it end in -nin?
It comes from değerlendirme, which means evaluation, assessment, or appraisal.
Here it appears as değerlendirme + nin → değerlendirmenin.
The ending -(n)in is the genitive ending, often corresponding to of or marking possession/association.
So on its own, değerlendirmenin means roughly:
- of the evaluation
- or, in this sentence’s grammar, the evaluation’s
Because değerlendirme ends in a vowel, the genitive takes the buffer n, giving -nin.
Why is it bu değerlendirmenin and not just bu değerlendirme?
Because this sentence contains an embedded clause: that this evaluation is objective.
In Turkish, when a clause like that is turned into a noun-like structure, the subject of the embedded clause usually takes the genitive ending.
So:
- Bu değerlendirme nesnel. = This evaluation is objective.
- Bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğunu düşünüyorum. = I think that this evaluation is objective.
In the second sentence, bu değerlendirme becomes bu değerlendirmenin because it is the subject of the embedded -DIK clause.
Where is the English word that in this sentence?
Turkish usually does not use a separate word exactly like English that here.
Instead, the idea of that this evaluation is objective is expressed by the structure:
- bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğunu
So the that-clause is built into the grammar of the sentence, especially through olduğunu.
You can think of:
- nesnel olduğunu = that it is objective
So there is no separate word for that; Turkish packages it into the clause itself.
What exactly is olduğunu?
Olduğunu is a very common Turkish form, and it is built from several pieces:
- ol- = to be / become
- -duk / -dık / -duğu type nominalizing suffix
- -u = a possessive/agreement ending
- -nu = accusative after a possessed form
More practically, in this sentence:
- nesnel olduğunu = that it is objective
A useful breakdown is:
- ol-duğ-u-nu
This is one of the standard ways Turkish turns a full statement into a noun-like clause that can become the object of another verb such as düşünmek.
Why do we use ol- after nesnel?
Because nesnel is an adjective meaning objective.
In a simple main sentence, Turkish can often leave out an explicit verb to be:
- Bu değerlendirme nesnel. = This evaluation is objective.
But inside a noun clause like I think that..., Turkish usually needs a verbal form to carry the clause grammar. That is where ol- comes in.
So:
- nesnel = objective
- nesnel olduğunu = that it is objective
This does not necessarily mean become objective here. In this structure, ol- often functions like the missing to be.
Does olduğunu mean the sentence is in the past?
No. That is a very common confusion.
Even though olduğunu looks like it contains oldu, it does not automatically make the meaning past in this kind of structure.
For example:
- Haklı olduğunu düşünüyorum. = I think that he/she is right.
- not I think that he/she was right
So in Bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğunu düşünüyorum, the meaning is present-time in English:
- I think this evaluation is objective
The tense of these embedded forms is often understood from context rather than translated mechanically as past.
Why does olduğunu end in -nu?
Because the whole embedded clause is the object of düşünüyorum.
The clause is:
- bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğu = the fact that this evaluation is objective
When that clause becomes the direct object of düşünüyorum, it takes the accusative ending:
- olduğu → olduğunu
The n is a buffer consonant that appears before case endings after possessed forms.
So:
- olduğu = that it is
- olduğunu = that it is as a direct object of the main verb
Why is düşünüyorum translated as I think, not just I am thinking?
Because Turkish often uses the -yor form for things English expresses with a simple present.
So:
- düşünüyorum can mean I am thinking
- but very often it also means I think
With mental-state verbs like düşünmek, this is extremely normal.
So in this sentence:
- düşünüyorum = I think
not necessarily a temporary I am in the middle of thinking right now.
What is the word order here, and what is the literal structure?
The sentence is:
- Bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğunu düşünüyorum.
Structure:
- Bu değerlendirmenin = of this evaluation / this evaluation’s
- nesnel olduğunu = that it is objective
- düşünüyorum = I think
So the literal logic is something like:
- I think [this evaluation’s being objective].
More natural English:
- I think that this evaluation is objective.
This is very typical Turkish word order: the entire embedded clause comes before the main verb.
Can I say this in a simpler or more conversational way?
Yes. A simpler alternative is:
- Bence bu değerlendirme nesnel.
That means:
- In my opinion, this evaluation is objective.
This is simpler because it avoids the embedded-clause structure.
The difference is roughly:
- Bu değerlendirmenin nesnel olduğunu düşünüyorum. = I think that this evaluation is objective.
- Bence bu değerlendirme nesnel. = In my opinion, this evaluation is objective.
Both are natural, but the original sentence is a very useful pattern because it teaches you how Turkish says I think that..., I know that..., I believe that..., and so on.
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