Breakdown of Keşke üniversitede tıp okusaydım.
okumak
to read
üniversite
university
keşke
if only / I wish
tıp
medicine (field of study)
Questions & Answers about Keşke üniversitede tıp okusaydım.
How does okusaydım break down to give us the meaning of a past regret?
It combines the verb root oku (to read/study) with the conditional suffix -sa, the past tense suffix -ydı (which includes the buffer -y- to connect two vowels), and the first-person ending -m. When you combine the conditional and the past tense (-saydı) alongside keşke, it creates the unfulfilled past wish: "I wish I had...".
Why do we use okumak here instead of çalışmak for "to study"?
While okumak generally means "to read", it is the standard verb used in Turkish for majoring in a subject or attending a school. You use it for phrases like tıp okumak (to study medicine) or üniversitede okumak (to study at a university). The verb çalışmak is used instead for the active, physical process of studying for an exam or doing homework.
Why doesn't the word tıp have an accusative suffix, like tıbbı?
Because it is a general, non-specific object in this context. The speaker is talking about the concept of "medicine" as a field of study, not a specific, previously mentioned "the medicine". When a direct object is indefinite and placed right before the verb, it stays in its bare dictionary form.
Is the word keşke absolutely required for this sentence to mean "I wish"?
No, it is optional but very common. The -saydım ending on the verb already carries the grammatical meaning of an unrealized past condition or wish. However, adding keşke at the beginning strongly emphasizes the emotional feeling of regret, similar to "If only..." in English.
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