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Questions & Answers about Söz verdim ve sözümü tuttum.
Why does it say söz verdim for 'I promised'?
In Turkish, the most common way to say 'to promise' is the phrase söz vermek, which literally means 'to give word.' Since the sentence is in the past tense, vermek becomes verdim (I gave).
Let's break down the word sözümü. Why does it have two -ü suffixes?
The root is söz (word). The first suffix is -üm (my), making sözüm (my word). The final -ü is the accusative case suffix. You need this because 'my word' is a specific direct object receiving the action of the verb tuttum (I kept).
What is the literal meaning of tuttum here?
It comes from the verb tutmak, which means 'to hold,' 'to catch,' or 'to keep.' Just like in English, Turkish uses the expression sözünü tutmak to mean keeping a promise or holding true to your word.
This lesson teaches the future negative tense. How would I change the end of the sentence to say 'I will not keep my word'?
You would take the verb root tut-, add the negative suffix -ma, the future suffix -yacak (which softens to -yacağ before a vowel), and the personal ending -ım. The sentence would become: Söz verdim ama sözümü tutmayacağım (I promised, but I will not keep my word).