Breakdown of Fark ettim ki kapı kilitliydi.
kapı
door
fark etmek
to notice
ki
that (conjunction) / so... that
kilitli
locked
Questions & Answers about Fark ettim ki kapı kilitliydi.
Why does this sentence seem to use English word order instead of putting the verb at the very end?
It is because of the conjunction ki! When ki is used for realization, it joins two separate, complete sentences exactly like the word "that" does in English: Fark ettim (I noticed) + ki (that) + kapı kilitliydi (the door was locked). This is a rare exception to the normal Turkish word order, making it very friendly for English speakers.
Why is the past tense in fark ettim spelled with a double "t" instead of a "d"?
The action word here is the compound verb fark etmek (to notice). To make etmek past tense, you usually add the suffix -di. However, because etmek ends in the hard, voiceless consonant "t", the "d" in the suffix hardens into a "t" to match it. Add the personal ending -m for "I", and et-di-m naturally becomes ettim.
How do the suffixes build the word kilitliydi?
It starts with the noun kilit (lock). First, the suffix -li (meaning "with" or "having") is added to make the adjective kilitli (locked). Finally, to say "was locked", we add the past tense suffix -di. Since kilitli ends in a vowel, the buffer letter -y- is needed to keep the vowels apart, resulting in kilit-li-y-di.
Is it possible to say this sentence without using ki?
Yes, but the grammar is much more complex! Without ki, a native speaker would say Kapının kilitli olduğunu fark ettim (literally: I noticed the door's being locked). Using the ki conjunction gives you a very handy, simple alternative to express the exact same thought using grammar you already know.
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