Breakdown of İklim değiştiğinden beri ne zaman kar yağdı?
yağmak
to rain / to snow
beri
since
iklim
climate
kar
snow
değişmek
to change (intransitive, undergo change)
ne zaman
when
Questions & Answers about İklim değiştiğinden beri ne zaman kar yağdı?
How exactly does değiştiğinden beri mean "since it changed"?
This structure uses the verb root değiş (to change). We add the participle suffix -dik, the possessive suffix -i (referring to the climate), the buffer -n-, and the ablative suffix -den (from). Finally, we add beri (since). Literally, it translates to "Since from its changing."
Why do we need the possessive suffix -i on the verb here?
In Turkish, action clauses like "the climate changed" are turned into noun phrases using the -dik suffix. To connect the subject (İklim) to the action, Turkish uses possession. You are literally saying "the climate's changing," which is why the third-person possessive -i is required before adding the ablative case and beri.
I learned the suffix as -dik, so why is it -tiğ in this sentence?
Two things are happening here. First, the -d changes to -t because the verb root değiş ends in a voiceless consonant (ş). Second, the -k softens to -ğ because it is followed by a vowel (the possessive -i). So the underlying -dik becomes -tiğ.
Why does the sentence use kar yağdı for "it snowed"?
Turkish doesn't have a standalone verb that just means "to snow." Instead, you pair the noun kar (snow) with the verb yağmak, which means to precipitate or fall from the sky. Literally, you are asking "when did snow fall?"
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