Breakdown of Pazar günü piknik yapacaktık ama kar yağdı.
yapmak
to do / to make
gün
day
yağmak
to rain / to snow
pazar
Sunday
ama
but
piknik
picnic
kar
snow
Questions & Answers about Pazar günü piknik yapacaktık ama kar yağdı.
How does yapacaktık translate to "we were going to have"?
It uses the "future in the past" structure for an unfulfilled intention. We start with the verb root yap (to do). Then we add the future suffix -acak, the past tense suffix -tı, and the "we" ending -k. Together, yap-acak-tı-k means "we were going to do" (or "have" a picnic), but the second half of the sentence implies we didn't get to.
Why does the sentence use kar yağdı instead of a single verb for "snowed"?
In Turkish, precipitation is expressed using a noun plus the verb yağmak (to fall from the sky / to precipitate). Kar means snow, and yağdı is the past tense of yağmak. So, kar yağdı literally means "snow fell", which is the standard way to say "it snowed".
Why is there an -ü at the end of günü in Pazar günü?
Days of the week are often expressed as noun compounds. We link Pazar (Sunday) and gün (day) together. To connect two nouns like this in Turkish, we add a possessive suffix to the second word. Here, the -ü is added to make it literally "Sunday its-day".
Why do we use yapmak (to do/make) with a picnic?
While English speakers "have" or "go on" a picnic, Turkish uses the verb yapmak (to do/make). Piknik yapmak is a common set phrase you should memorize as a single chunk.
Learn Pazar günü piknik yapacaktık ama kar yağdı and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free