Learn Turkish: Bebeğimiz geçen hafta doğdu. Maşallah, çok güzel haber! - "Our baby was born last week." "Mashallah, what wonderful news!"

In English, we use the passive voice ('was born'). However, in Turkish, doğmak is an active, intransitive verb meaning 'to come into the world'. So, you just use the regular past tense doğdu without needing to add any passive suffixes.

What happens to the word bebek in bebeğimiz?

The root word is bebek (baby). When we add the possessive suffix -imiz (our), the final k softens into a soft g (ğ) because it is sandwiched between two vowels. This is a standard rule called consonant mutation.

Does geçen always mean 'last' like in geçen hafta?

Geçen comes from the verb geçmek (to pass) and literally means 'passing' or 'that which has passed'. In time expressions like geçen hafta (last week) or geçen yıl (last year), it translates to 'last'. However, you cannot use it to mean 'the final one' in a sequence (for that, you would use son).

What is the cultural significance of saying Maşallah here?

Maşallah is used to show joy and appreciation for good news or beauty. In Turkish culture, it is especially important to say it when praising someone or hearing about a new baby, as it is believed to protect the child from the 'evil eye' (bad luck caused by unintentional envy).