Questions & Answers about Polis şoförden şüphelendi.
Why does the word for driver have the -den suffix (şoförden)?
The suffix -den is the ablative case, which usually means 'from'. In Turkish, the verb şüphelenmek (to suspect / to be suspicious) requires the object you are suspicious of to take this ablative case. You can think of it as the police getting suspicion 'from' the driver.
In English, 'the driver' is a direct object. Why don't we use the accusative case (şoförü) here?
Cases in Turkish are determined by the specific Turkish verb, not by how the sentence translates into English. Even though 'suspect' takes a direct object in English, şüphelenmek always demands the ablative case (-den or -dan) for the person or thing being suspected.
Why is the suffix -den rather than -dan on şoför?
This is because of vowel harmony. The last vowel in şoför is ö, which is a front vowel. Because it is a front vowel, it must take the front vowel version of the ablative suffix, which is -den.
How is the verb şüphelendi built?
It starts with the noun şüphe (doubt or suspicion). The suffix -len turns it into the verb şüphelenmek (to become suspicious). Finally, the -di suffix puts it in the simple past tense for a 'he/she/it' subject, making it 'suspected'.
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