Breakdown of Bu müzik kim tarafından bestelendi?
bu
this
kim
who
müzik
music
tarafından
by (agent in passive voice)
bestelemek
to compose (music)
Questions & Answers about Bu müzik kim tarafından bestelendi?
Why do we use tarafından instead of the suffix -ce here to say "by whom"?
Tarafından is the standard way to say "by [someone]" in passive sentences when referring to a specific person. The suffix -ce (or -ca) is usually used for groups, institutions, or collective authorities (like hükümetçe - by the government). Since kim (who) asks for a specific person, kim tarafından is the natural choice.
How is the passive voice built in the verb bestelendi?
The root noun is beste (musical composition). We add -le to make it a verb: bestelemek (to compose). To make it passive, we add the passive suffix -n (which is used after vowels), making it bestelenmek (to be composed). Finally, we add the past tense suffix -di, giving us bestelendi (was composed).
Could I change the word order to "Kim tarafından bu müzik bestelendi?"?
You could, but it sounds less natural. In Turkish, the most important piece of new information (the focus of the sentence) usually goes immediately before the verb. Because the core of your question is who did it, kim tarafından belongs in that pre-verb spotlight.
What is the literal breakdown of the word tarafından?
It essentially means "from the side of." It consists of the noun taraf (side/part), the possessive suffix -ı (its side), a buffer -n-, and the ablative suffix -dan (from). When used as a standalone phrase after a noun or pronoun, it functions exactly like the English word "by" in passive sentences.
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