Learn Turkish: Dekor değiştiğinde sahne tamamen karanlık oldu. - When the set changed, the stage became completely dark.

Dekor değiştiğinde sahne tamamen karanlık oldu.

When the set changed, the stage became completely dark.

Breakdown of Dekor değiştiğinde sahne tamamen karanlık oldu.

to change (intransitive, undergo change)

Questions & Answers about Dekor değiştiğinde sahne tamamen karanlık oldu.

How is değiştiğinde formed to mean 'when it changed'?

It uses the 'when' pattern you are learning: the verb root değiş- (to change) + -tiğ (a mutated form of the -dIk suffix) + -i (3rd person possessive, meaning 'its') + -n- (buffer letter) + -de (locative suffix 'at'). Literally, it translates to 'at its changing'.

Why does the -dIk suffix look like -tiğ here?

Two spelling rules happen at once. First, değiş- ends in a voiceless consonant (ş), which changes the d in -dIk to t. Second, adding the possessive vowel suffix -i right after causes the hard k to soften into a ğ.

Why do we need the possessive suffix -i in değiştiğinde?

In Turkish, 'when' clauses built with -dIk act like noun phrases. You have to show who or what is doing the action using a possessive suffix. Here, the -i points to dekor (the set). It is structurally similar to saying 'at the set's changing'.

Could I use a single verb for 'darkened' instead of karanlık oldu?