Breakdown of Gelin beyaz elbiseyi seçmiş mi?
elbise
dress
seçmek
to choose
beyaz
white
mi
question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)
Questions & Answers about Gelin beyaz elbiseyi seçmiş mi?
Why are we using seçmiş mi instead of the regular past tense seçti mi?
The regular past tense seçti mi means "Did she choose?" and implies you or the listener has direct knowledge of the event. Using the reported past tense seçmiş with the question particle mi means you are asking about something you didn't see yourself. It translates to "Did you hear if she chose it?" or "Has she supposedly chosen it?".
Why does the word for dress (elbise) have -yi at the end?
The -i at the end of elbiseyi is the definite accusative case suffix, and the y is just a buffer letter since elbise ends in a vowel. We use this case because she is choosing a specific direct object ("the white dress"). If she were just choosing "a white dress" in general, it would be beyaz bir elbise seçmiş mi? without the accusative suffix.
Is the word for bride (gelin) related to the verb gelmek (to come)?
Yes, it is! The word gelin historically comes from the verb gelmek. In traditional Turkish culture, it literally refers to "the one who comes" to the groom's family or house. It is a great way to remember the vocabulary word!
Why is the question particle mi a separate word, and how do we know which vowel to use in it?