Breakdown of Saat ona on kala kapatıyorum.
saat
hour / o'clock
kapatmak
to turn off / to close
kala
to (the hour)
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Saat ona on kala kapatıyorum.
Why is the first "ten" written as ona instead of just on?
When saying "to" an hour in Turkish, you treat the hour as a destination by adding the dative (direction) suffix -a or -e. Because the hour is on (ten), we add -a to make it ona (to ten).
What does kala mean at the end of the time expression?
Kala means "remaining". In Turkish time-telling, it is always used together with the -a/-e suffix on the hour to mean "minutes to". So, ona on kala literally translates as "to ten, ten remaining".
Why use the present continuous ending -ıyor for a scheduled event like closing?
While English typically uses the simple present tense for schedules ("I close"), Turkish very commonly uses the present continuous tense (-ıyor) for daily routines, habits, and fixed schedules.
Does kapatıyorum mean closing a physical object like a door, or closing a business?
It works for both! The verb kapatmak is the general word for "to close". You can use it for closing a door, a window, or, as in this sentence, closing up a shop or business for the day.