Breakdown of Toplantı uzun süredir devam ediyor.
uzun
long / tall
toplantı
meeting
süre
period
devam etmek
to continue
Questions & Answers about Toplantı uzun süredir devam ediyor.
How does the -dir suffix change the meaning of süre here?
Süre means "duration" or "period of time". Adding the time duration suffix -dir (which follows vowel harmony rules) translates to "for [a period of time]". Therefore, uzun süredir literally means "for a long duration".
Why is the verb devam ediyor in the present tense when the English translation says "has been going on"?
In English, we use a special tense ("have/has been doing") for actions that started in the past and are still happening right now. Turkish is simpler: it just uses the regular present continuous tense (-iyor) along with a time phrase like süredir to show that the action is still ongoing.
Why does ediyor have a d instead of a t?
The dictionary form of the verb "to continue" is devam etmek, which is formed using the helper verb etmek (to do/make). When a suffix starting with a vowel is added to etmek (like the -iyor present tense suffix), the t softens into a d. This consonant mutation makes it ediyor rather than etiyor.
Could I say uzun zamandır instead of uzun süredir?