Learn Turkish: Davul ile iyi bir ritim tutabilirsin. - You can keep a good rhythm with the drum.

Davul ile iyi bir ritim tutabilirsin.

You can keep a good rhythm with the drum.

Breakdown of Davul ile iyi bir ritim tutabilirsin.

with / by / and (linking nouns)

tutmak

to catch / to hold

Questions & Answers about Davul ile iyi bir ritim tutabilirsin.

Can I write ile as a suffix attached to davul instead of a separate word?

Yes, you can! The word ile (with) can be written separately or attached as a suffix. If you attach it, it drops the 'i' and follows vowel harmony to become -la or -le. Here, davul ile can be written as davulla.

Why is the word order iyi bir ritim instead of bir iyi ritim?

In Turkish, when an adjective describes a noun that uses bir (a/an), the adjective almost always comes first. So 'a good rhythm' is iyi (good) + bir (a) + ritim (rhythm). Saying bir iyi ritim sounds slightly unnatural and puts heavy emphasis on the number 'one'.

How is the verb tutabilirsin formed?

It is built from the verb root tut (hold/keep). We add the vowel connector -a, then the ability suffix -bilir (can), and finally the personal ending -sin (you). Together, tut-a-bilir-sin literally means 'you can keep'.

Does the verb tutmak usually mean 'to keep'?

Tutmak most commonly means 'to hold' or 'to catch'. However, it is a very flexible verb used in many set expressions. In music, ritim tutmak is the standard phrase for 'to keep rhythm' or 'to keep a beat'. You can think of it as 'holding' the beat.