Breakdown of Bu dürbünle kartalı görebiliriz.
bu
this
görmek
to see
ile
with / by / and (linking nouns)
dürbün
binoculars
Questions & Answers about Bu dürbünle kartalı görebiliriz.
Does görebiliriz mean 'we can see' or 'we might see'?
It can mean both! The structure of Verb + -ebil + Aorist (-ir in this case) is used to express both physical ability ('can') and probability ('might' or 'may'). Context tells us which one is intended. In this lesson, we are focusing on its use for expressing strong possibility.
Why does the Turkish say Bu dürbünle (this binocular) when the English translation says 'these binoculars'?
In English, 'binoculars' is a plural noun, but in Turkish, dürbün is singular. Because the noun itself is singular, we must use the singular word Bu (this) instead of the plural Bunlar (these).
What is the -le suffix doing at the end of dürbünle?
It is the shortened suffix form of the word ile, which means 'with' or 'by means of'. When attached to a noun ending in a consonant, it becomes -la or -le following vowel harmony rules.
Why is there an -ı at the end of kartalı?
The -ı is the accusative case marker, which is used because 'the eagle' is the specific direct object of our sentence. If we just used the plain noun and said kartal görebiliriz, it would mean 'we might see an eagle' or 'we might see eagles' in a non-specific way.