Questions & Answers about Küçük kız köpekten korkmadı.
Why is there a 'from' ending on köpekten if the English says 'fear the dog'?
In Turkish, the verb korkmak (to fear / be afraid) requires the ablative case (-dan/-den). You can think of it as literally being afraid from something. This is a set rule for this verb!
I know the ablative suffix is usually -dan or -den. Why is it -ten in köpekten?
This is due to consonant mutation, which you might remember from earlier lessons. Because köpek ends in a hard, voiceless consonant (k), the d in the suffix -den hardens to match it, becoming a t.
How does the verb korkmadı break down?
It is built from kork- (the root for fear), plus -ma (the negative suffix), plus -dı (the simple past tense suffix for the third person). Together, it means 'did not fear' or 'was not afraid'.
Is korkmak a verb or an adjective? English speakers usually say 'was not afraid of'.
It is a standard verb. While English often uses the verb 'to be' plus the adjective 'afraid', Turkish uses the action verb korkmak. You can translate it into English either as 'did not fear' or 'was not afraid of'.