Questions & Answers about Kimse acı ıspanak yemezdi.
How is the verb yemezdi formed here?
It is made of the verb stem ye- (to eat), the negative aorist suffix -mez, and the past tense suffix -di. Together, -mezdi shows a negative past habit, translating to 'used to not eat' or 'would not eat'.
Why is the verb negative if kimse already means 'nobody'?
In Turkish, words like kimse (anybody/nobody) or hiç (none/ever) require a negative verb. Turkish uses double negatives in this way. Literally, the sentence says 'Anybody used to not eat...' which translates to 'Nobody used to eat...' in English.
Why isn't ıspanak in the accusative case (ıspanağı)?
Because it is an indefinite direct object. The sentence is talking about bitter spinach in general, not a specific batch ('the bitter spinach'). General direct objects take no case suffix and usually sit directly before the verb.
I thought acı meant 'spicy' or 'pain'. Can it also mean 'bitter'?
Yes! Acı is a versatile word. It means 'pain' as a noun, and 'spicy' or 'bitter' as an adjective. Context tells us which one applies here; since spinach is not a chili pepper, 'bitter' makes the most sense.