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Questions & Answers about Bu izin bir hafta sürüyor.
What kind of "leave" does izin refer to?
The word izin literally means "permission". However, in a work or school context, it is the standard word for "leave", "time off", or "vacation".
I learned that sürmek means "to drive". Why does it translate to "lasts" here?
The verb sürmek has several common meanings. While it means "to drive" a vehicle or "to spread" something like butter, it also means "to last" or "to continue" when used with a measurement of time, like bir hafta (a week).
Why doesn't bir hafta have a word for "for" (as in "for a week")?
In Turkish, you don't need a preposition to show how long an action takes. You simply state the time period directly before the verb. Just saying bir hafta perfectly communicates the full idea of "for a week".
Since the English translation is "lasts" (simple present), why does the Turkish use the present continuous sürüyor?
Turkish frequently uses the present continuous tense (-iyor) for current states and facts, where English prefers the simple present. Using the simple present (sürer) would also be correct, especially to describe a general rule, but sürüyor is very natural here because it focuses on a specific leave happening right now.