Breakdown of Aralık ayında biten sözleşmeyi iptal ettik.
ay
month
aralık
December
bitmek
to finish / to end
iptal etmek
to cancel
sözleşme
contract
Questions & Answers about Aralık ayında biten sözleşmeyi iptal ettik.
How does biten translate to "that ends" in this sentence?
The word biten comes from the verb bitmek (to end or finish). By adding the subject relative participle -en (from the current lesson's -(y)An pattern), it changes the verb into an adjective meaning "that ends" or "which ends". It directly describes the noun that comes right after it, sözleşmeyi (the contract).
Why is it Aralık ayında instead of just Aralık'ta for "in December"?
In Turkish, names of months are often paired with the word ay (month) to form a compound noun, literally meaning "the month of December" (Aralık ayı). To say "in", we add the locative suffix. Because the compound noun already has a possessive ending (-ı), we must use the buffer letter -n- before the -da, making it Aralık ayında. Saying Aralık'ta is also correct, but this longer form is very natural and common.
Why does sözleşme (contract) end with -yi here?
It takes the specific direct object marker, also known as the accusative case. Because we canceled a specific contract ("the contract that ends in December"), it needs this ending. The word sözleşme ends in a vowel, so we add the buffer letter -y- followed by the suffix -i to get sözleşmeyi.
How is the verb iptal ettik formed?
It comes from the compound verb iptal etmek (to cancel). The word iptal means "cancellation", and etmek is a helper verb meaning "to do" or "to make". Here, etmek is conjugated in the past tense for "we" using et + -ti (past time marker) + -k ("we" ending), giving us iptal ettik (we canceled).
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