Learn Turkish: Siren sesini duyar duymaz ambulans için yolu açar mısınız? - Would you clear the way for the ambulance as soon as you hear the siren sound?

Siren sesini duyar duymaz ambulans için yolu açar mısınız?

Would you clear the way for the ambulance as soon as you hear the siren sound?

Breakdown of Siren sesini duyar duymaz ambulans için yolu açar mısınız?

Questions & Answers about Siren sesini duyar duymaz ambulans için yolu açar mısınız?

How does duyar duymaz translate to 'as soon as you hear'?

This is the structure you are learning in this lesson! It pairs the positive aorist form of a verb (duyar) directly with its negative aorist form (duymaz). Together, they form a converb meaning 'as soon as the action happens.' Notice it doesn't take any personal endings; we know it means 'as soon as you hear' because the main verb at the end of the sentence (açar mısınız) is conjugated for 'you.'

Why is the word for sound written as sesini instead of just ses or sesi?

First, 'siren sound' is a noun compound: siren sesi, which puts the third-person possessive suffix -i on ses. Second, this sound is the specific direct object being heard by the verb duymak, so it needs the accusative case. We add the buffer letter -n- followed by the accusative -i, resulting in sesini.

Does yolu açar mısınız literally mean 'would you open the road'?

Yes! Yol açmak (to open the road) is the standard Turkish expression for clearing the way or making a path. Since we are talking about a specific path in front of the ambulance, yol takes the accusative suffix -u, becoming yolu.

Why use the aorist tense for açar mısınız ('would you clear')?