Breakdown of Fidanları çukurlara ikişer ikişer mi diktiniz?
iki
two
mi
question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)
dikmek
to plant
çukur
hole / pit (in the ground)
Questions & Answers about Fidanları çukurlara ikişer ikişer mi diktiniz?
Why is the word ikişer repeated as ikişer ikişer?
In Turkish, duplicating a distributive number creates the meaning of 'X by X' or 'in groups of X'. Here, ikişer ikişer means 'two by two' or 'in pairs'. If you just used a single ikişer, it would mean 'two each' (for example, giving two saplings to each person).
Where does the ş come from in ikişer?
The distributive suffix is usually just -ar or -er. However, when the number ends in a vowel, like iki (two), Turkish adds a buffer letter -ş- to prevent two vowels from sitting together. This makes it ikişer instead of ikier.
Why is the question particle mi in the middle of the sentence instead of at the end?
Placing the question particle immediately after a phrase puts the focus of the question on that specific detail. By placing mi after ikişer ikişer, the speaker is asking, 'Was it specifically TWO BY TWO that you planted them?' If the sentence ended with diktiniz mi, the focus would just be a general 'Did you plant them?'
Why does fidanları have an -ı at the end?