Breakdown of Bu olayı bir fırsat olarak görmeye başladım.
bu
this
bir
a / an
başlamak
to begin, to start
görmek
to see
olay
event
olarak
as / in the capacity of
fırsat
opportunity
Questions & Answers about Bu olayı bir fırsat olarak görmeye başladım.
How does olarak translate to "as" in this sentence?
The word olarak is actually the verb olmak (to be) combined with the adverbial suffix -(y)arak (by doing / while doing). Literally, bir fırsat olarak means "being an opportunity." In Turkish, this is the standard way to express "as" when talking about roles, functions, or capacities.
Why is there a -ye at the end of görmeye instead of just using the dictionary infinitive görmek?
The verb başlamak (to start) always requires the dative case (the "to/toward" marker -(y)e / -(y)a) on the action you are starting. To say "started to see," you first turn görmek into a noun using the short infinitive görme, add the buffer letter -y-, and then attach the dative -e to connect it to başladım.
Why is it olayı rather than just olay?
Olay (event) takes the accusative case suffix -ı because it is the specific direct object of the verb görmek (to see). The word bu (this) makes it a specific, known event. If you were talking about an event in general, you wouldn't need the suffix, but "this event" requires it.
Why is bir fırsat olarak placed where it is in the sentence?
In Turkish, phrases that describe how an action is performed generally go immediately before the verb. Here, bir fırsat olarak (as an opportunity) describes the manner in which you are seeing the event, so it sits naturally right in front of görmeye.
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