Questions & Answers about Çocuk kaseti sarmak için bekliyordu.
How is the verb bekliyordu formed, and why is the 'e' from beklemek missing?
The root is bekle- (to wait). When adding the present continuous suffix -iyor, the ending vowel e narrows to i, making it bekliyor (is waiting). Then, we add the past suffix -du to make it past continuous: bekliyordu (was waiting). This combination is used for ongoing actions in the past.
How does sarmak için translate to 'to wind'? Doesn't için usually mean 'for'?
Yes, için means 'for', but when you put it right after a verb in its dictionary form (an infinitive ending in -mak or -mek), it means 'in order to' or simply 'to'. So, sarmak için translates to 'in order to wind' or 'to wind'.
Why is it kaseti instead of just kaset, and why doesn't the 't' change to a 'd' here?
The -i suffix is the specific direct object marker (the accusative case). We need it because the child is waiting to wind a specific cassette ('the' cassette). Usually, a t between two vowels changes to a d, but kaset is a loanword borrowed from French, and many foreign loanwords skip this consonant mutation rule.
Why is the phrase kaseti sarmak için placed right in the middle of the sentence?