Question 1

Why is the ending -ten attached to kasis before the word önce?

Accepted Answer

To say "before [a noun]" or "after [a noun]" in Turkish, the noun must take the ablative (the "from") case. You can think of it literally as "prior from the speed bump." Because kasis (speed bump) ends in a voiceless consonant (s), the suffix must start with t. And due to vowel harmony with the i, it becomes -ten instead of -dan or -den.

Question 2

We usually use önce for time. Is it normal to use it for a physical object like a speed bump?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While önce (before) and sonra (after) are frequently used for time, they are also perfectly normal to use for a physical sequence along a route. When you are driving or giving directions, saying kasisten önce (before the speed bump) is the standard way to express that something happens just before reaching a location.

Question 3

What role does mutlaka play in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Mutlaka means "absolutely," "definitely," or "without fail." When paired with a command like it is here, it translates naturally to "be sure to" or "make sure you." It turns a simple instruction into a strong warning or necessity.

Question 4

How is the verb yavaşla formed from the word for "slow"?

Accepted Answer

It starts with the adjective yavaş (slow). By adding the suffix -la, it becomes the verb yavaşlamak (to slow down). Because this sentence is giving a direct command to a single person (informal "you"), we drop the dictionary ending (-mak) and just use the verb stem: yavaşla (slow down!).

Kasisten önce mutlaka yavaşla.

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