Breakdown of Kimse sır saklamadı, problem ciddi.
problem
problem
sır
secret
saklamak
to hide / to keep
kimse
no one / anyone
ciddi
serious
Questions & Answers about Kimse sır saklamadı, problem ciddi.
Why does saklamadı have the negative -ma suffix if kimse already means "no one"?
In Turkish, kimse on its own is closer to "anyone." To say "no one," you must pair kimse with a negative verb. This double negation is required, which is why we use the negative suffix -ma in saklamadı (did not keep). It literally translates to "Anyone did not keep a secret."
Why is the verb saklamadı in the singular form when "no one" implies multiple people could have kept the secret?
Even though kimse refers to people in general, it is grammatically a singular pronoun. Therefore, it always takes the 3rd person singular verb ending, just like "he," "she," or "it." That's why it is saklamadı, not saklamadılar.
Why doesn't sır have the accusative case suffix since it is the object of the verb?
In Turkish, the accusative suffix is only used for specific direct objects (like "the secret"). Here, it's just any secret, translated as "a secret" (indefinite), so sır stays in its bare dictionary form. If the sentence meant "No one kept the secret," it would be Kimse sırrı saklamadı.
Where is the word for "is" in problem ciddi?
In Turkish, there is no separate standalone word for "is." It is usually attached as a suffix. For the third person ("it is"), the formal suffix is -dir, but it is very frequently dropped in everyday sentences. Problem ciddi is completely correct and naturally translates to "the problem is serious."
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