Yağmur yağsa bile yeni montum su geçirmiyor.
Even if it rains, my new coat doesn't let water through.
Breakdown of Yağmur yağsa bile yeni montum su geçirmiyor.
yeni
new
su
water
yağmur
rain
yağmak
to rain / to snow
Questions & Answers about Yağmur yağsa bile yeni montum su geçirmiyor.
How does the grammar in yağsa bile give us 'even if it rains'?
The verb yağmak (to rain) takes the conditional suffix -sa (if), followed by the separate word bile (even). Together, the -sa bile structure is the standard way to say 'even if' in Turkish.
Could I use 'da' instead of 'bile' in this sentence?
Yes! You could say yağmur yağsa da, which means exactly the same thing. Both -sa bile and -sa da are perfectly interchangeable for 'even if' situations.
Why do we say yağmur yağsa instead of just yağsa?
In English, we use a dummy subject and say 'it rains.' Turkish doesn't use dummy subjects, so it literally says 'rain rains' (yağmur yağar). That's why we need both words here to mean 'even if it rains'.
What is the literal meaning of su geçirmiyor?
It literally means 'it is not letting water pass.' The root verb is geçmek (to pass). By adding the causative suffix -ir, it becomes geçirmek (to let pass / to make pass). With the negative continuous suffix -miyor, we get the common Turkish way of saying a piece of clothing is waterproof.