Questions & Answers about Anahtarı kullanıyor.
Why is the word for key anahtarı instead of just anahtar?
In this sentence, the key is the direct object of the verb kullanıyor (is using). Because it refers to a specific key (the key rather than just a key), it takes the definite accusative case suffix -ı.
How do we know to use -ı and not another version of the accusative suffix like -i or -u?
We look at the last vowel of the root word. The last vowel in anahtar is 'a'. According to 4-way vowel harmony rules, words whose last vowel is 'a' or 'ı' take the undotted -ı suffix.
There is no word for 'he' in this sentence. How do we know who is using the key?
Turkish often drops subject pronouns like o (he, she, or it). The verb kullanıyor ends right after the -ıyor tense suffix without any extra personal endings. In Turkish, a verb with no personal ending automatically refers to the third-person singular.
What part of kullanıyor makes it a continuous action?
The root of the verb is kullan (use). The -ıyor part is the present continuous tense suffix, which is very similar to '-ing' in English. It tells us the action is happening at this very moment.
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