Question 1

How is the word parladığında formed to mean "when it shone"?

Accepted Answer

It is built on the verb root parla (shine). To say "when [something] happens/happened", we add the participle suffix -dık (which softens to -dığ here due to the following vowel), then the third-person possessive suffix -ı (its), and finally the locative case suffix -nda (at/on). Literally, it translates to "at the time of its shining".

Question 2

Why does parladığında use the third-person possessive suffix (-ı) if oyuncu (the actor) is the one smiling?

Accepted Answer

In Turkish "when" clauses, the possessive suffix matches the subject of that specific action, not the subject of the main sentence. Here, it was the costume (kostümü) that shone, so the verb takes the third-person possessive -ı to mean "when it shone".

Question 3

Doesn't kostümü just mean "the costume"? How do we know it means "his costume"?

Accepted Answer

The suffix -ü on kostüm can be either the definite accusative (the costume) or the third-person possessive (his/her/its costume). Because it acts as the subject of the "when" clause (parladığında), it cannot take the accusative case. Subjects of these clauses never take the accusative, so kostümü must be possessive here: "his costume".

Question 4

What is the difference between using güldü and gülümsedi?

Accepted Answer

While they share the same root, gülmek generally means "to laugh" (though it can occasionally mean to smile). To specifically say "to smile" without making a laughing sound, you use gülümsemek, which gives us the past tense form gülümsedi in this sentence.

Kostümü parladığında oyuncu sahnede gülümsedi mi?

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