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Questions & Answers about Yardım etmek istemiyorum.
Why is the verb for "to help" two words (yardım etmek)?
In Turkish, yardım is a noun meaning "help" or "assistance". To turn it into an action verb, we add the helper verb etmek (to do / to make). Together, they form the compound verb yardım etmek (to help).
How does the grammar work for saying "I do not want to [do something]" in this sentence?
You take the full infinitive form of the action you want to do—which is the dictionary form ending in -mak or -mek—and put it first. Here, that's yardım etmek. Then, you follow it with the conjugated form of "to want" (istemek).
How do we break down the word istemiyorum?
It comes from istemek (to want). We take the root iste-, add the negative suffix -me (which changes to -mi before the next suffix due to a rule called vowel narrowing), add the present continuous tense -yor, and finally the "I" ending -um. So it breaks down as iste-mi-yor-um (I do not want).
Why doesn't the sentence include the word ben (I)?
The subject "I" is already built into the end of the sentence! The -um suffix on istemiyorum tells us exactly who doesn't want to help. You could say Ben yardım etmek istemiyorum if you wanted to emphasize "I", but it's completely natural to drop the pronoun.