Questions & Answers about Efendim, sizi dinliyorum.
Why is Efendim translated as "Yes?" here instead of "Sir" or "My master"?
While efendi literally means "master" and -m means "my", Efendim is a very common polite expression. You use it to answer the phone, respond when someone calls your name, or politely ask someone to repeat what they said. Here, it acts like a polite "Yes?"
Why is it sizi (accusative) instead of size (dative)? In English we say "listen to you."
This is a common trap for English speakers! In Turkish, the verb dinlemek (to listen) takes a direct object, meaning it requires the accusative case. You are literally saying "I am listening you." Therefore, siz becomes sizi, not the dative size.
Why use sizi here instead of the informal seni?
sizi is the formal or plural word for "you" in the accusative case. Because the speaker starts with the highly polite Efendim, using the formal sizi is a perfect match to show respect to the person they are addressing.
The verb root for "to listen" is dinle. Why is it spelled dinliyorum and not dinleyorum?
When a verb root ends in the wide vowels -a or -e and you add the continuous present tense suffix -yor, that final vowel narrows. The -e at the end of dinle changes to an -i to match the rules of vowel harmony, resulting in dinliyorum.
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