Breakdown of Ben kararlıyım, asla abur cubur yemeyeceğim.
ben
I
yemek
to eat
kararlı
determined
asla
never
abur cubur
junk food
Questions & Answers about Ben kararlıyım, asla abur cubur yemeyeceğim.
How is the word yemeyeceğim formed? It looks very long!
Let's break it down! It starts with the verb root ye (eat). Then we add the negative suffix me (not). Because the future suffix ecek starts with a vowel, we need the buffer letter y between them. Finally, we add the personal suffix im (I). When we add im, the k at the end of ecek softens into a ğ. So: ye + me + y + eceğ + im.
Is yemeyeceğim really pronounced exactly how it is spelled?
In formal speech or reading, yes. However, in everyday spoken Turkish, people almost always shorten the future tense. You will usually hear this word pronounced as if it were written yemicem or yemiycem.
What does abur cubur literally mean?
It means "junk food" or "unhealthy snacks." The words abur and cubur don't actually mean anything on their own! Turkish loves to create rhyming paired words like this to describe categories of things.
Why is there a y in kararlıyım?
The word for "determined" is kararlı, which ends in a vowel. To say "I am," we need to add the personal suffix ım. Since Turkish generally doesn't let two vowels sit directly next to each other, we use y as a buffer letter: kararlı + y + ım (I am determined).
Could I use hiç instead of asla to say "never" here?
You could, and it would be grammatically correct, but asla is a much stronger word for "never." Since the speaker just said Ben kararlıyım (I am determined), using the strict and absolute word asla fits the strong, uncompromising mood of the sentence perfectly.
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