Bu abartı hayret uyandırdı.

Not exactly.

• Bu abartı means this exaggeration.
• Bu bir abartı means this is an exaggeration.

So in Bu abartı hayret uyandırdı, bu is directly describing abartı. The subject is this exaggeration, not a full this is ... sentence.

Abartı is a noun meaning exaggeration, overstatement, or hyperbole depending on context.

It comes from the verb abartmak, meaning to exaggerate.

So the pattern is:

• abartmak = to exaggerate
• abartı = exaggeration

In this sentence, abartı is the subject.

Literally, it means something like:

• hayret = amazement, astonishment
• uyandırdı = awakened, aroused

So the literal sense is awakened amazement or aroused astonishment.

This is a very natural Turkish way to say that something caused astonishment or made people amazed.

Yes, very much so.

Hayret uyandırmak is a common expression meaning:

• to cause astonishment
• to arouse amazement
• to be astonishing

It is a little more formal or written-sounding than a very simple verb like şaşırtmak (to surprise).

So this sentence sounds natural and idiomatic, not like a word-for-word construction invented on the spot.

Because uyandırmak and uyanmak are different verbs.

• uyanmak = to wake up
• uyandırmak = to wake someone/something up, to awaken, to arouse

Here the meaning is metaphorical, not about literal sleep.

So:

• uyandı = woke up
• uyandırdı = awakened/aroused something

In this sentence, the exaggeration is causing amazement, so Turkish uses the transitive verb uyandırmak.

It is the simple past with -dı/-di/-du/-dü.

So uyandırdı means:

• aroused
• caused
• awakened

This is the standard past tense used for a completed action.

Breakdown:

• uyandır- = verb stem
• -dı = past tense
• the third-person singular subject has no extra ending here

So uyandırdı = it aroused / it caused

This is a very common question.

In Turkish, a direct object is often left without the accusative ending when it is indefinite or when it appears in a common expression.

Here, hayret is the object of uyandırdı, but it appears in its bare form:

• hayret uyandırdı

not

• hayreti uyandırdı

Why?

1. Indefinite object usage is common in Turkish.
2. Hayret uyandırmak is a set expression, so the bare noun sounds natural.

If you used hayreti, it would suggest a more specific, already-known astonishment, which is not the normal meaning here.

So learners should get used to the fact that Turkish often leaves objects unmarked in expressions like this.

The sentence structure is:

• Bu abartı = subject
• hayret = direct object
• uyandırdı = verb

So literally:

• This exaggeration astonishment aroused

More naturally in English:

• This exaggeration caused astonishment
• This exaggeration was astonishing

Turkish usually puts the verb at the end, so this is a normal word order.

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible, but the neutral order here is already very natural:

• Bu abartı hayret uyandırdı.

You could move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Hayret uyandırdı bu abartı.
• Bu abartı uyandırdı hayret.
  This last one is much less natural in ordinary usage.

For learners, the best takeaway is:

• Turkish often uses subject + object + verb
• the version you have is the standard, safest one

They are close, but not identical.

• hayret = amazement, astonishment, wonder
• şaşkınlık = surprise, bewilderment, confusion

So hayret often suggests stronger admiration or astonishment, while şaşkınlık can also include being confused or caught off guard.

That is why hayret uyandırmak feels like to arouse astonishment, not just to surprise.

Yes, but the meaning and tone would shift a little.

• Bu abartı hayret uyandırdı. = This exaggeration caused astonishment.
• Bu abartı şaşırttı. = This exaggeration surprised people.

The second one is more direct and conversational.
The first one is a bit more formal, descriptive, and idiomatic.

So they are similar, but not exact substitutes in tone.

You would usually say:

• Bu abartı hayret uyandırıyor.

That means:

• This exaggeration is causing astonishment
• This exaggeration is astonishing

So:

• uyandırdı = caused / aroused
• uyandırıyor = is causing / is arousing

The Turkish ı is one of the sounds English speakers often struggle with.

It is:

• not the same as English i
• a vowel pronounced deep in the mouth, with unrounded lips

In these words:

• abartı ≈ a-BAR-tı
• uyandırdı ≈ u-yan-DIR-dı

A useful tip: try making a very short vowel sound without smiling your lips, somewhere between a muted uh and a swallowed i. It takes practice.

Also note that Turkish spelling is very regular, so once you learn ı, you can trust the spelling.

It sounds mostly neutral to slightly formal.

Why?

• hayret uyandırmak is a fairly standard written/spoken expression
• it is a bit more elevated than very casual everyday phrasing

In casual speech, someone might more simply say:

• Bu abartı şaşırttı.
• Bu gerçekten şaşırtıcıydı.

But Bu abartı hayret uyandırdı is perfectly natural Turkish.