Questions & Answers about Yarışmada altıncı oldum.
Why does the Turkish sentence use oldum (I became) instead of a verb for "came"?
In English, we say "I came sixth" or "I finished sixth." In Turkish, ranks and placements in a race or competition are expressed using the verb olmak (to be / to become). Literally, the sentence translates to "I became sixth."
How is the word altıncı formed? Why isn't there an extra vowel in the suffix?
To make an ordinal number (first, second, sixth, etc.), you add the suffix -ıncı, -inci, -uncu, or -üncü depending on vowel harmony. Because the number altı (six) already ends in a vowel, the first vowel of the suffix drops to avoid putting two vowels together. So, you just add -ncı.
If I wanted to write "sixth" using a digit in this sentence, how would I format it in Turkish?
In Turkish, a period placed right after a number acts as the ordinal suffix. So, you would write "I came sixth" as Yarışmada 6. oldum. You can also write it with an apostrophe and the suffix: 6'ncı.
The word yarışmada means "in the competition." What is the root of this word?
The root is the verb yarışmak (to race / to compete). By adding the suffix -ma, it turns into the noun yarışma (competition or contest). Finally, the locative suffix -da is added to mean "in the competition."
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