Breakdown of Kullanmadan önce bakım için makineyi temizledi.
temizlemek
to clean
kullanmak
to use
önce
before / first / firstly
için
for
makine
machine
bakım
maintenance
Questions & Answers about Kullanmadan önce bakım için makineyi temizledi.
Why does it say kullanmadan önce instead of using the normal ablative ending -dan önce?
When you want to say "before [a noun]", you use the ablative case -DAn önce (like dersten önce = before class). But when you want to say "before [doing an action]", you attach the suffix -mAdAn önce directly to the verb stem. Here, the verb is kullanmak (to use), so it becomes kullanmadan önce (before using).
What is the root of the word bakım?
It comes from the verb bakmak, which usually means "to look" but can also mean "to look after" or "to care for". Adding the suffix -Im turns it into the noun bakım, meaning "care" or "maintenance".
Why is it makineyi and not just makine?
Because the machine is the specific direct object receiving the action of the verb (temizledi). We use the accusative case suffix -i (with a buffer y to separate the two vowels) to show this, making it makineyi (the specific machine).
Could we change the word order to makineyi bakım için temizledi?
Yes! Turkish word order is flexible, but the word immediately before the verb gets the most emphasis. In the original sentence, makineyi is stressed ("She cleaned the machine"). If you put bakım için right before the verb, the focus shifts to the reason: "She cleaned the machine for maintenance".
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