Breakdown of Şimdi çok pişmanım, keşke ticaret veya hukuk seçseydim.
çok
very
şimdi
now
seçmek
to choose
veya
or
Questions & Answers about Şimdi çok pişmanım, keşke ticaret veya hukuk seçseydim.
How does the ending on seçseydim build the meaning 'I had chosen'?
It breaks down as the verb root seç- (choose) + -se (the wish/conditional suffix) + -y- (buffer letter) + -di (past tense) + -m (I). When you combine the wish suffix -se with the past tense -di, it creates an unrealized past condition or a regret: 'I wish I had chosen'.
Do I always need to use keşke with -seydim?
Not strictly. The verb ending -seydim already expresses an unrealized past wish on its own. However, placing keşke (I wish / if only) before it is extremely common. It reinforces the emotion of the sentence and acts as an early signal that a regret is coming.
Why does the Turkish use pişmanım instead of an action verb for 'I regret'?
In English, 'regret' is usually a verb, but in Turkish, pişman is an adjective meaning 'regretful'. Instead of using an action verb, you literally say 'I am regretful' by attaching the personal suffix -ım (I am) to the adjective.
Why don't the words ticaret and hukuk take the accusative case ending here?
They are the direct objects of seçseydim, but they do not take the accusative ending because they are non-specific. The speaker is referring to choosing the general fields of commerce or law as a category, rather than a specific, previously identified item (which would translate closer to 'the commerce' or 'the law').