Word
Durum kritik olduğu sürece sıkı önlemler alırız.
Meaning
As long as the situation is critical, we take strict measures.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Durum kritik olduğu sürece sıkı önlemler alırız.
almak
to take, to buy
olmak
to be
durum
situation
önlem
precaution, measure
Questions & Answers about Durum kritik olduğu sürece sıkı önlemler alırız.
How does olduğu sürece mean "as long as it is"?
The phrase is built with the verb olmak (to be). We add the -dık suffix (which softens to -duğ- due to vowel harmony and consonant mutation) and the 3rd person singular possessive suffix -u. Finally, we add sürece (as long as). Together, olduğu sürece literally translates to "for the duration of its being".
Why do we need olduğu here at all? Couldn't we just attach sürece directly to kritik?
The grammar structure for "as long as" requires an action or state (a verb) to hold the -dık suffix. Since kritik is just an adjective, we must use the helper verb olmak (to be) to carry those required suffixes. You will see olduğu sürece used after many adjectives to mean "as long as something is a certain way".
Why is the main verb alırız instead of alıyoruz?
The aorist tense in alırız (we take) is used here because this sentence describes a general policy, habit, or conditional truth: whenever the situation is critical, we generally take these measures. If you were talking about a specific, temporary crisis happening right now, you would use the present continuous alıyoruz.
Does sıkı usually mean "strict"?