Breakdown of Kütüphaneci çalışıyorken sessiz olunur.
çalışmak
to work / to study
olmak
to be
sessiz
quiet
kütüphaneci
librarian
Questions & Answers about Kütüphaneci çalışıyorken sessiz olunur.
How does olunur mean "one is"?
olunur is the passive form of olmak (to be). In Turkish, adding the passive suffix to an intransitive verb (a verb without a direct object) creates an "impersonal" meaning, like "one does" or "people do". Combined with the aorist tense suffix -ur, it states a general rule: "one is quiet".
Why does the passive suffix for olmak use -un instead of -ıl?
Normally, verb roots ending in a consonant take -ıl or -il to become passive. However, if the root ends in the letter L, it takes -ın, -in, -un, or -ün instead to avoid repeating the L sound. Therefore, ol becomes olunmak.
What is the difference between using çalışıyorken and çalışırken here?
The suffix -(y)ken ("while") can attach to different verb tenses. çalışırken uses the aorist tense and means "while working" as a general, everyday fact. çalışıyorken uses the present continuous (-ıyor) and emphasizes being right in the middle of the action. Both work perfectly here, but çalışıyorken paints a more vivid picture of the ongoing work.
Is kütüphaneci the subject of the entire sentence?
No, kütüphaneci is only the subject of the first clause, paired with çalışıyorken (while the librarian is working). Because the second half of the sentence uses the impersonal passive verb olunur, it doesn't have a specific subject at all.
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