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Questions & Answers about Kararı bekliyorlar.
Why is it kararı and not just karar?
Karar means "decision". The -ı suffix is the accusative case, which marks a specific direct object (meaning "the decision" rather than just "a decision"). If you wanted to ask what they are waiting for, you would use the specific question word from this lesson: Neyi bekliyorlar? (What specific thing are they waiting for?). Since the question uses the specific object form, the answer kararı does too.
In English, we say we are waiting for the decision. Why is there no word for "for" in Turkish?
In English, "wait" needs the preposition "for". In Turkish, the verb beklemek (to wait) takes a direct object. You simply say you are waiting the thing itself. Because "the decision" is the direct object of the verb, we just use the noun with its accusative suffix (kararı) without any extra words for "for".
The dictionary form of "to wait" is beklemek. Why does it change to bekliyorlar with an "i"?
The root of the verb is bekle-. When a verb root ends in a wide vowel like "a" or "e" and you add the continuous present tense suffix -yor, that final vowel "narrows" into ı, i, u, or ü. Here, the "e" in bekle- changes to "i", making it bekliyor.
How do we know the subject is "they" without the word onlar?