Breakdown of Çocuklar salıncaktan atlardı, topu tutardı.
çocuk
child
tutmak
to catch / to hold
atlamak
to jump
salıncak
swing
Questions & Answers about Çocuklar salıncaktan atlardı, topu tutardı.
How do atlardı and tutardı give the meaning of 'used to'?
These verbs combine the aorist tense (which shows habits) with the past tense suffix. In atlardı, we have atla (jump) + -r (aorist) + -dı (past). In tutardı, it is tut (catch) + -ar (aorist) + -dı (past). Together, this 'aorist + past' structure translates perfectly to 'used to' or 'would do' something in the past.
Why does atlardı just take -r for the aorist, but tutardı takes -ar?
The aorist suffix changes depending on the verb stem. Because atlamak ends in a vowel (atla-), it simply takes -r. Tutmak ends in a consonant and is a single-syllable verb, so it takes -ar (or -er depending on vowel harmony) before the past tense suffix -dı.
The subject is Çocuklar (plural). Why aren't the verbs pluralized as atlarlardı and tutarlardı?
In Turkish, if a plural human subject is explicitly stated in the sentence (like çocuklar), you don't have to add the plural suffix -lar to the verb. Leaving the verbs singular as atlardı and tutardı is perfectly natural and very common in everyday Turkish.