Question 1

How do we form "was she washing" (yıkıyor muydu) in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

We start with the verb yıkamak (to wash). First, we add the continuous ending to get yıkıyor (she is washing). To ask "was she?" (past continuous interrogative), we add the question particle mu, a buffer -y-, and the past tense suffix -du for the third person (she). Altogether, it makes yıkıyor muydu?.

Question 2

Why is it yıkıyor and not "yıkayor"?

Accepted Answer

When a verb root ends in -a or -e (like yıka-), that final vowel is dropped or "narrowed" when we add -yor. Because of vowel harmony, the -a changes to -ı, turning yıka- into yıkıyor.

Question 3

How do we get "your mother" from the word annen?

Accepted Answer

The base word for mother is anne. To say "your" (for a single person), we add the possessive suffix -n. If the sentence was just about "the mother", it would simply be anne mutfakta bulaşık yıkıyor muydu?.

Question 4

Why does mutfakta (in the kitchen) end in -ta instead of the usual -da?

Accepted Answer

This is due to consonant harmony (the "Fıstıkçı Şahap" rule). The word mutfak ends with a hard, voiceless consonant (k). When a word ends in one of these hard consonants, the suffix -da (meaning "in" or "at") changes to -ta to match it smoothly.

Question 5

Why is bulaşık singular when the English translation says "dishes"?

Accepted Answer

In Turkish, bulaşık refers to the general concept of dirty dishes to be washed, acting a bit like an uncountable noun (similar to "laundry" in English). When talking about the chore of washing dishes, Turkish uses the singular phrase bulaşık yıkamak rather than the plural bulaşıklar.

Dün gece annen mutfakta bulaşık yıkıyor muydu?

Breakdown of Dün gece annen mutfakta bulaşık yıkıyor muydu?

Questions & Answers about Dün gece annen mutfakta bulaşık yıkıyor muydu?

Learn Dün gece annen mutfakta bulaşık yıkıyor muydu and more in Turkish