Breakdown of Çok sis var, dışarı adım atamayız.
var
there is / existent
çok
a lot of / many
dışarı
outside
atmak
to throw / to tie (a knot) / to lay (a foundation) / to put (a signature)
sis
fog
adım
step
Questions & Answers about Çok sis var, dışarı adım atamayız.
How do we build atamayız and where is the aorist tense marker?
The word comes from the root at- (to throw). The first -a- is the inability marker meaning "cannot". Then comes the negative -ma-. In the aorist negative for "we" (biz), the usual time marker completely disappears, so we directly attach the personal ending -yız.
What is the difference between atmayız and atamayız?
The single letter -a- right after the verb root makes all the difference! atmayız means "we do not step" (general aorist negative), while atamayız adds the inability marker to mean "we cannot step".
Why does the sentence use atmak (to throw) for stepping?
In Turkish, the phrase adım atmak literally translates to "to throw a step". It is the standard set phrase used exactly like "to take a step" in English.
Shouldn't dışarı have a direction suffix, like dışarıya?
It can, but it is not strictly required. With common direction words like dışarı (outside), içeri (inside), or aşağı (down), Turkish speakers often drop the directional -(y)a suffix when the word is used right before a verb of motion.
Learn Çok sis var, dışarı adım atamayız and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free