Breakdown of Bebek sakinleşene kadar onu kucağımda sallıyorum.
o
that / he / she / it
bebek
baby
kadar
as ... as; until, up to
sakinleşmek
to calm down
kucak
arms / lap
sallamak
to rock
Questions & Answers about Bebek sakinleşene kadar onu kucağımda sallıyorum.
How exactly is sakinleşene kadar built?
It comes from the verb sakinleşmek (to calm down). To say "until [verb]ing", we use the pattern -(y)AnA kadar. We take the verb root (sakinleş-) and add -ene because the last vowel is 'e', giving us sakinleşene kadar (until he calms down).
Why do we need onu (him) in the second half if the sentence already mentions Bebek (baby)?
Bebek is the subject of the first part: the baby is the one calming down (Bebek sakinleşene kadar). Onu is the direct object of the main action: you are rocking him (onu sallıyorum). While Turkish sometimes drops pronouns, including onu here makes the separation between the two actions perfectly clear.
What is the root word of kucağımda, and why is there a ğ in it?
The root word is kucak, which means lap, arms, or embrace. When we add the "my" ending (-ım), the hard k at the end of the word softens to a ğ (kucağım - my arms). Then we add the locative suffix -da (in/at), resulting in kucağımda (in my arms).
Why is the verb sallıyorum instead of "sallayorum"?
The verb root is sallamak (to rock or shake). In Turkish, when a verb ending in -a or -e is followed by the present continuous -yor ending, that final vowel "narrows" into ı, i, u, or ü. Here, the a narrows to ı, so salla- becomes sallı-, giving us sallıyorum (I am rocking).
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