Learn Turkish: Koluma büyük bir motif yaptıracakken katalogdan küçük bir çiçek seçtim. - Just as I was about to have a large motif done on my arm, I chose a small flower from the catalog.

Koluma büyük bir motif yaptıracakken katalogdan küçük bir çiçek seçtim.

Just as I was about to have a large motif done on my arm, I chose a small flower from the catalog.

Breakdown of Koluma büyük bir motif yaptıracakken katalogdan küçük bir çiçek seçtim.

Questions & Answers about Koluma büyük bir motif yaptıracakken katalogdan küçük bir çiçek seçtim.

How does yaptıracakken mean 'just as I was about to have it done'?

This word combines several pieces. It starts with yap (do/make), adds the causative -tır (to have something done), then the future tense -acak (about to), and finally -ken (while/just as). Together, the pattern -acakken expresses an interrupted intention: 'just as I was going to have it done.'

Why is it yaptıracakken instead of just yapacakken?

The suffix -tır is the causative suffix. If you used yapacakken, it would mean 'just as I was about to draw the motif myself.' By using yaptıracakken, you are saying 'just as I was about to have someone else make the motif' (like getting a tattoo from an artist).

Why does the sentence use koluma (to my arm) instead of kolumda (on my arm)?

Although we translate it as 'on my arm' in English, applying a motif or getting a tattoo involves directing an action onto a surface. In Turkish, this takes the dative direction suffix -a (to/onto) rather than the static locative suffix -da (in/on/at).

How do we know who was going to get the motif if yaptıracakken doesn't have a personal suffix like '-ım'?

The adverbial suffix -ken never takes a personal ending. We know who the subject is because of the main verb at the end of the sentence: seçtim (I chose). The subject 'I' applies to the whole sentence, so the interrupted action also belongs to 'I'.