Breakdown of Ben her sabah keçileri sağıyordum.
ben
I
her
every
sabah
morning
keçi
goat
sağmak
to milk (an animal)
Questions & Answers about Ben her sabah keçileri sağıyordum.
Why does sağıyordum mean "used to milk" instead of just "milked"?
Sağıyordum is in the past continuous tense. It combines the continuous suffix -ıyor (like the English "-ing") with the past tense suffix -du and the personal ending -m ("I"). This combination (-ıyordum) is used for ongoing actions in the past ("I was milking") or regular past habits ("I used to milk").
What is the suffix -i at the end of keçileri?
It is the definite accusative case ending. Keçi means goat, and -ler makes it plural. Adding the -i at the end marks keçileri as the specific direct object receiving the action of the verb sağmak (to milk).
How do we know which connecting vowel to use before the -yor suffix in sağıyordum?
The verb root is sağ- (from sağmak, to milk). Because it ends in a consonant, we need a vowel to connect it to the -yor suffix. Under 4-way vowel harmony rules, the vowel a in sağ- requires an ı to follow it, making the word sağıyor-.
Is it necessary to include Ben at the beginning of the sentence?
No, it is completely optional. The personal ending -m at the end of sağıyordum already shows that the subject is "I". Including Ben just adds a bit of extra emphasis to the subject.
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