Breakdown of İki rakip minderde bakışıyordu.
iki
two
rakip
opponent
minder
mat / cushion
bakışmak
to look at each other / to stare at each other
Questions & Answers about İki rakip minderde bakışıyordu.
How does the word bakışıyordu mean "staring at each other"?
The root verb is bakmak (to look). By adding the reciprocal suffix -ış-, we get bakışmak, which means "to look at each other" or "to exchange glances". The suffix -(I)ş shows that an action is being done mutually by two or more people.
Why isn't the plural suffix used on rakip (opponents) since there are two of them?
In Turkish, when a noun is preceded by a number or a quantity word (like iki, üç, or az), the noun must remain in its singular form. So, it is always iki rakip (literally "two opponent"), never iki rakipler.
What tense is being used in bakışıyordu to mean "were staring"?
It uses the past continuous tense. It is built by stacking two time suffixes: the present continuous suffix -ıyor (is staring) and the past tense suffix -du (was). Together, -ıyordu describes an ongoing, continuous action that happened in the past.
Since there are two people doing the action, shouldn't the verb be bakışıyorlardı?
It can be, but it is optional! When a human subject is plural, you can add the plural suffix -lar to the end of the verb. However, because the subject İki rakip already makes it perfectly clear that there is more than one person, Turkish speakers often leave the verb in the singular form to sound more natural and avoid repetition.