Breakdown of Öncelikle ellerinizi yıkayın, sonra sofraya oturun.
oturmak
to sit
yıkamak
to wash
sonra
later
el
hand
sofra
dining table
öncelikle
first of all
Questions & Answers about Öncelikle ellerinizi yıkayın, sonra sofraya oturun.
Why is there an extra -i at the end of ellerinizi?
Elleriniz means "your hands" (el + -ler + -iniz). The final -i is the accusative case marker. We need it because your hands are the specific, defined direct object receiving the action of the verb yıkayın (wash).
In English we sit "at" the table. What case is being used in sofraya?
Turkish uses the dative case for sitting at a table, indicating motion towards it. Sofra ends in a vowel, so it takes the buffer -y- and the dative suffix -a, becoming sofraya (literally "to the table"). Note that sofra specifically means a table set for a meal, unlike the general word masa.
Who is this sentence addressing based on the verbs yıkayın and oturun?
The -ın and -un suffixes are the imperative (command) endings for siz (you, plural or formal). The speaker is either giving instructions to a group of people ("you all") or giving a polite command to one person.
How do öncelikle and sonra work together in this sentence?
While this lesson focuses on correlative conjunctions, here we see a sequencing pair. Öncelikle means "first of all" or "primarily," emphasizing the absolute first priority, while sonra means "then" or "afterwards." Together, they clearly order the two clauses.
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