Breakdown of Gençlik arkadaşım on yıldır burada yaşıyor.
arkadaş
friend
on
ten
burada
here
yaşamak
to live / to experience / to undergo
yıl
year
gençlik
youth
Questions & Answers about Gençlik arkadaşım on yıldır burada yaşıyor.
How does the suffix -lik change the word genç in this sentence?
The word genç is an adjective meaning "young". Adding the -lik suffix turns it into an abstract noun, gençlik, meaning "youth".
Why is the phrase gençlik arkadaşım and not just gençlik arkadaş?
This is a noun compound. When combining gençlik (youth) and arkadaş (friend) to mean "youth friend", Turkish requires a possessive suffix on the second word. It would normally be gençlik arkadaşı, but since it is "my" friend, it takes the first-person suffix -m, becoming gençlik arkadaşım.
How does on yıldır translate to "for ten years"?
The suffix -dır is added to a time duration to mean "for" that length of time. Following vowel harmony rules, it takes the form -dır after yıl (year). So on yıl means "ten years", and on yıldır means "for ten years".
Why does the Turkish sentence use the present continuous tense in yaşıyor when the English translation says "has been living"?
In Turkish, if an action started in the past and is still continuing right now (like living in a place), you simply use the present continuous tense (-ıyor). You don't need a special perfect tense like in English. Combined with the duration on yıldır, it is naturally understood as "has been living".
The verb to live is yaşamak. Why is it spelled yaşıyor here instead of yaşayor?
When a verb root ends in a or e (like yaşa-), adding the present continuous suffix -ıyor causes that final vowel to drop or narrow. Here, the a changes to ı to blend with the suffix, resulting in yaşıyor. This is an earlier grammar rule called vowel narrowing.
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