Breakdown of Sepete koymadan önce yaklaşık otuz kırk mantarı ayıkladım.
otuz
thirty
kırk
forty
sepet
basket
koymak
to put
önce
before / first / firstly
yaklaşık
approximately
mantar
mushroom
ayıklamak
to sort out (pick out, separate physical items)
Questions & Answers about Sepete koymadan önce yaklaşık otuz kırk mantarı ayıkladım.
Why are otuz and kırk placed right next to each other without a word for 'or'?
In Turkish, you can express an approximate number by placing two sequential numbers side by side, like otuz kırk (thirty or forty) or iki üç (two or three). You do not need to use a word like veya (or) between them.
Does using both yaklaşık (approximately) and otuz kırk (thirty or forty) sound repetitive in Turkish?
Not at all! Just like in English where you might say 'approximately thirty or forty', using yaklaşık together with a sequential number pair is very natural in Turkish. It just adds extra emphasis that the number is an estimate.
Why is mantarı singular when there are thirty or forty of them?
As a quick reminder, nouns that follow a number in Turkish must remain in their singular form. Even though thirty or forty is clearly plural, you always use the singular noun, making it otuz kırk mantar rather than otuz kırk mantarlar.
Why does mantar have the -ı ending in this sentence?
The -ı is the specific direct object (accusative) ending. By saying mantarı, the speaker is indicating they sorted out a specific, known group of mushrooms (perhaps the ones they just foraged), rather than just mushroom-sorting as a general activity.
How does koymadan önce mean 'before putting'?
To say 'before doing something' in Turkish, you take the verb root (koy- for putting) and add the ending -madan or -meden, followed by the word önce (before). So koymadan önce translates to 'before putting'.
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