Questions & Answers about Bu uzun nehir iki şehri birbirine bağlar.
How does the verb bağlar follow the rule for the Simple Present (Aorist) tense?
The root of the verb is bağla (from bağlamak, to connect). Because the root ends in a vowel, we simply add the letter -r to form the Simple Present tense for third-person singular subjects (he/she/it). This gives us bağlar (connects).
Why is the word for city spelled şehri instead of şehiri?
The dictionary word for city is şehir. However, it is one of several Turkish words that drop their second vowel when a suffix starting with a vowel is added. Here, we are adding the accusative suffix -i to mark the direct object, so şehir plus -i becomes şehri.
How is the word birbirine (to each other) built?
The base word is birbiri, meaning each other. The verb bağlamak requires the dative case (showing direction towards something) to indicate what you are connecting something to. So, we add the buffer letter -n- and the dative suffix -e to get birbirine (to each other).
Why is it iki şehri (two cities) instead of a plural form like iki şehirleri?