Breakdown of Eski liman geçen yıl kapatıldı.
eski
old
yıl
year
kapatmak
to turn off / to close
geçen
last, previous
liman
port / harbor
Questions & Answers about Eski liman geçen yıl kapatıldı.
How do we get from the verb kapatmak to the passive form kapatıldı?
The root verb is kapatmak (to close). Because the stem kapat ends in a consonant, we add the passive suffix -ıl based on vowel harmony, giving us kapatılmak (to be closed). Then we just add the standard past tense suffix -dı to get kapatıldı (it was closed).
Could we use kapandı instead of kapatıldı here?
They have slightly different feelings. Kapatıldı means it was actively closed by an outside force (like the government or city authorities). Kapandı translates more to "it closed" on its own, like a door blowing shut, or a business naturally going out of business. For a large facility like a port, kapatıldı emphasizes the official action taken to shut it down.
Why isn't there a locative suffix like -da on geçen yıl to mean "in last year"?
Just like in English, Turkish doesn't use location suffixes with time words involving "last" or "next". You simply say geçen yıl (last year) or gelecek ay (next month) without ever adding -da or -de.
Does geçen yıl have to go right before the verb?
No, you could also say Geçen yıl eski liman kapatıldı. Placing it right before the verb puts a bit more focus on exactly when the port was closed. Putting it at the beginning simply sets the background time for the sentence. Both are perfectly natural.
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