Onun bunu zaten bildiğini varsayma.

this

Breakdown of Onun bunu zaten bildiğini varsayma.

• bilmek: to know
• onun: his
• zaten: already

Questions & Answers about Onun bunu zaten bildiğini varsayma.

How is this sentence built word by word?

A helpful breakdown is:

• onun = his / her / its in the genitive form, or more naturally here, that he/she
• bunu = this / it as a direct object
• zaten = already
• bildiğini = that he/she knows
• varsayma = do not assume

So the structure is roughly:

[Onun bunu zaten bildiğini] varsayma
= Do not assume [that he/she already knows this].

The part onun bunu zaten bildiğini is a subordinate clause functioning as the object of varsayma.

Why is it onun, not o?

Because this is not a simple main clause like O bunu biliyor.

In Turkish, when a clause is turned into a noun-like clause with endings such as -DIK, its subject is usually put in the genitive case. That is why you get:

• o = he / she / it
• onun = his / her / its, and in this kind of structure, that he/she

So:

• O bunu biliyor = He/she knows this
• Onun bunu bildiği = that he/she knows this

This genitive + nominalized verb pattern is very common in Turkish.