Word
Memur kimliğimi görebilir mi?
Meaning
Can the officer see my ID?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Memur kimliğimi görebilir mi?
görmek
to see
mi
question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)
memur
officer
kimlik
ID card
Questions & Answers about Memur kimliğimi görebilir mi?
How does görebilir mi translate to "can (he) see"?
It uses the ability structure -(y)abil/-(y)ebil. The verb root is gör- (see), followed by -ebil, then the aorist tense ending -ir. Finally, the third-person question particle mi is written separately.
I know the word for ID is kimlik. Why is it spelled kimliğimi here?
Two things are happening. First, you add the possessive suffix -im to mean "my". Because it starts with a vowel, the k at the end of kimlik softens to a ğ, making it kimliğim. Then, you add the accusative case suffix -i to the very end.
Why do we need that second -i at the very end of kimliğimi?
That is the accusative case, which marks a specific direct object. You are not asking if they can see just any ID; you are asking if they can see your specific ID. Since it is the direct target of the verb görebilir, it needs this marker.
If I am talking to the officer, why don't I use the "you" form (görebilir misiniz)?
In this sentence, memur (the officer) is a third-person subject. You are asking someone else: "Can the officer see my ID?" If you were speaking directly to the officer, you would usually drop the word memur and ask: Kimliğimi görebilir misiniz? (Can you see my ID?).