Breakdown of Bu eski kablo kopmak üzere.
bu
this
eski
old
üzere
about to / on the verge of
kablo
cable
kopmak
to break / to disconnect (snap, detach)
Questions & Answers about Bu eski kablo kopmak üzere.
How does the '-mak üzere' construction work in this sentence?
The word üzere combined with the full dictionary infinitive of a verb (kopmak) expresses that an action is imminent. You are literally saying "to break on-the-verge-of". This is the standard way to say "about to [verb]" in Turkish.
I usually use 'kırmak' or 'bozulmak' for 'to break'. Why is 'kopmak' used for this cable?
Turkish uses different verbs for "breaking" depending on the physical nature of the object. Kırmak is for rigid objects shattering or snapping (like glass, sticks, or bones), while bozulmak is for machines or systems that stop working. Kopmak specifically means "to part" or "to snap under tension", which makes it the correct verb for long, flexible things like cables, strings, ropes, and wires.
Why doesn't the word 'üzere' have any suffixes here?
Because the subject is bu eski kablo (this old cable), which is a third-person singular "it". When using üzere with "I" or "we", you attach personal "to be" endings (like kopmak üzereyim - I am about to break). For "it", the ending is usually left blank in casual contexts. You could add the formal "is" suffix to make it kopmak üzeredir, but leaving it off is very common in everyday speech.
How would I change this sentence to say the cable 'was' about to break?
To move this imminent action into the past, you simply treat üzere like a regular noun or adjective and attach the past tense "to be" suffix -di. Because üzere ends in a vowel, you need the buffer letter y, making it Bu eski kablo kopmak üzereydi.
Learn Bu eski kablo kopmak üzere and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free