Breakdown of Burada ışık yok, o tabelayı okuyamazsın.
o
that / he / she / it
yok
there is not / non-existent
burada
here
okumak
to read
Questions & Answers about Burada ışık yok, o tabelayı okuyamazsın.
How do we break down okuyamazsın to get "you cannot read"?
Let's take it apart: oku is the verb root for "read". We add the buffer -y- because it ends in a vowel. Next is -ama-, the inability suffix meaning "cannot". Then we have -z, which is the negative Aorist tense marker for the second person. Finally, -sın is the "you" ending. Together: oku-y-ama-z-sın.
What is the exact difference between okumazsın and okuyamazsın?
Okumazsın is the simple negative Aorist, meaning "you do not read" (as a general fact or habit). By adding that extra -ya- in the middle, it becomes the negative ability form: okuyamazsın means "you cannot read". That small addition is what changes "do not" to "cannot".
Why does tabela (sign) have the -yı ending?
The ending -(y)ı is the accusative case, which marks a specific direct object. Because the sentence says o tabela (that sign), we are pointing out a specific sign that receives the action of being read. Therefore, it needs the accusative ending to become o tabelayı.
I see yok used here for "no light". Could I use değil instead?