Bu zor işi kendisi başardı ve bana öğretti.
He accomplished this difficult job himself and taught me.
Breakdown of Bu zor işi kendisi başardı ve bana öğretti.
bu
this
ben
I
zor
difficult
iş
work
ve
and
kendi
self
başarmak
to succeed / to achieve
öğretmek
to teach
Questions & Answers about Bu zor işi kendisi başardı ve bana öğretti.
Why do we use kendisi here instead of just kendi?
The word kendi is the base reflexive pronoun meaning self. In Turkish, we almost always add possessive endings to it to show exactly whose self it is. The -si ending is the his/her/its possessive suffix, making kendisi translate to himself, herself, or itself.
Why does iş (job) have an -i at the end making it işi?
It takes the accusative case suffix -i because it is the specific direct object of the verb başardı (accomplished). Since the sentence points to a specific job by saying this difficult job (bu zor iş), it requires the accusative ending.
Why does the sentence use bana (to me) instead of beni (me)?
The verb öğretmek (to teach) requires the dative case (the to direction case) for the person you are teaching. In Turkish logic, you teach a subject to someone. The word ben (I) changes irregularly to bana when we add this dative suffix.
How do we know it was he who accomplished it if the word o (he/she) isn't in the sentence?
The verbs başardı and öğretti both end in the simple past tense suffixes (-dı and -ti) with no extra personal endings attached. In Turkish, a verb with no personal ending automatically means he, she, or it. The pronoun kendisi (himself/herself) also matches this third-person subject.
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