Breakdown of Bakıcı çocuğu sandalyeye oturtamadı.
çocuk
child
sandalye
chair
oturmak
to sit
bakıcı
nanny / caregiver
Questions & Answers about Bakıcı çocuğu sandalyeye oturtamadı.
How does the -t suffix work in oturtamadı?
The base verb is oturmak (to sit). By adding the causative suffix, we get oturtmak (to make sit, or to seat). Because the root otur has more than one syllable and ends in the consonant 'r', it takes the -t form of the causative suffix rather than the longer -dır form.
How is the 'could not' meaning formed in oturtamadı?
The 'could not' meaning comes from the -ama part of the verb. If it were the regular past negative, it would be oturtmadı (she didn't seat). The extra a before the negative ma is the inability marker, turning it into 'she couldn't seat'.
Why does sandalye take the dative suffix -e (sandalyeye) when in English they are sitting 'on' a chair?
Verbs of motion or placement in Turkish, like sitting down or putting something somewhere, focus on the destination of the movement. Instead of saying you are putting the child on the chair (locative case), Turkish grammar treats it as directing the child to the chair (dative case). The first y in sandalyeye is a buffer letter.
Why did the 'k' in çocuk change to 'ğ' in çocuğu?