Breakdown of Onun bu suçu işlediğine inanmadılar.
bu
this
o
that / he / she / it
inanmak
to believe
suç
crime
Questions & Answers about Onun bu suçu işlediğine inanmadılar.
Why does işlediğine end with the dative case -e?
The main verb of the sentence is inanmak (to believe), which always requires its object to take the dative case (-a or -e). Since the whole clause 'that he committed this crime' acts as the object they don't believe, the dative case attaches to the very end of the action, creating işlediğine.
Can you break down all the suffixes on işlediğine?
It starts with the verb root işle- (to commit). Then we add -diğ (the factive clause suffix -dIk, with the 'k' softening to 'ğ' due to the following vowel). Next is -i (the 3rd person singular possessive matching onun), then a buffer -n-, and finally the dative case -e required by the main verb.
Why is it onun (his) instead of o (he) for 'he committed'?
In this type of clause, Turkish treats the action almost like a noun possessed by the subject. The subject of the clause takes the genitive case (like onun, benim, Ahmet'in) and the verb takes a possessive suffix. It literally translates closer to 'They didn't believe his having committed this crime.'
Why does suç (crime) have a -u on the end?