Breakdown of Atlet on bire on kala bitiş çizgisini gördü.
on
ten
on bir
eleven
görmek
to see
kala
to (the hour)
çizgi
line (drawn)
atlet
athlete
bitiş
finish
Questions & Answers about Atlet on bire on kala bitiş çizgisini gördü.
How does the phrase on bire on kala translate to 'at ten to eleven'?
What does the word kala literally mean?
It comes from the verb kalmak (to remain or stay). In this time structure, it acts as a special time word meaning 'remaining'. Therefore, on bire on kala literally translates to 'ten remaining to eleven'.
Why does the word for line, çizgi, have the complex ending -sini in bitiş çizgisini?
This combines two grammar rules you have seen before. First, 'finish line' is a noun compound: bitiş (finish) + çizgi (line). The second word needs the third-person possessive suffix -si, making it bitiş çizgisi. Second, because it is the specific thing the athlete saw, it takes the accusative case suffix -i. When adding a case marker to a possessive suffix, Turkish requires the buffer letter -n-, resulting in çizgi-si-n-i.
Could the time phrase on bire on kala go after the verb?
No, because Turkish is a Subject-Object-Verb language, meaning the verb gördü strongly prefers to sit at the very end. Time phrases usually go near the beginning of the sentence, often right after the subject (atlet). The specific direct object (bitiş çizgisini) naturally stays closer to the verb.
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