Breakdown of Kilerdeki erzakları kontrol etseniz iyi olur.
iyi
good
olmak
to be
kontrol etmek
to check
kiler
pantry
Questions & Answers about Kilerdeki erzakları kontrol etseniz iyi olur.
How does etseniz iyi olur translate to 'you had better'?
Literally, this means 'If you check, it will be good.' The suffix -se on the verb kontrol et- is the conditional ('if'), and -niz makes it 'you' (formal or plural). Pairing the conditional with iyi olur (it is/becomes good) is the standard way to give advice or a mild suggestion in Turkish, equivalent to 'you had better' or 'you should'.
Why does erzakları have the -ı ending?
The -ı is the specific accusative case marker. Because you are checking specific provisions (the ones in the cellar, rather than provisions in general), it is the direct object and requires the accusative case. It breaks down as erzak (provisions) + -lar (plural) + -ı (accusative).
What is the purpose of -ki in Kilerdeki?
The suffix -ki turns a place or time into an adjective. Here, kiler means 'cellar', and kilerde means 'in the cellar'. By adding -ki, you create the adjective Kilerdeki (the one in the cellar) to describe the provisions (erzakları).
Does the -niz ending in etseniz mean I am talking to multiple people?
It can! The -niz ending is the second-person plural. However, in Turkish, it is also used as a polite, formal 'you' for a single person. So you could be advising a group of people, or respectfully advising just one person.