Breakdown of Onun çölde safari yapmışlığı var, şu an aslanları izliyordur.
o
that / he / she / it
şu
that (pointed out)
var
there is / existent
yapmak
to do / to make
izlemek
to watch
aslan
lion
an
moment
çöl
desert
safari
safari
Questions & Answers about Onun çölde safari yapmışlığı var, şu an aslanları izliyordur.
How exactly does yapmışlığı var translate to having experience?
This is the experiential nominalization structure you are learning. The suffix -mış acts like a past participle, and -lık turns it into an abstract noun meaning 'the state of having done'. When we add the third-person possessive suffix -ı (causing the k to soften to ğ), we get yapmışlığı ('his state of having done'). Paired with the genitive pronoun onun and the word var, it literally means 'His state of having done a safari exists.'
Could I just say O çölde safari yaptı instead? What is the difference?
You could, but the focus shifts. O çölde safari yaptı is a simple past tense statement meaning 'He went on a safari in the desert.' Using Onun ... yapmışlığı var emphasizes the life experience itself, much like the English present perfect 'He has been on a safari' or 'He has the experience of doing a safari.'
Why does izliyordur have both the present continuous suffix -iyor and the suffix -dur?
When the suffix -dir / -dur is added to a present continuous verb (-iyor), it adds a sense of assumption, deduction, or strong probability. Instead of a factual 'he is watching', it translates to 'he is probably watching' or 'I assume he must be watching.'
Why does aslanları have the accusative suffix -ı here?
The verb izlemek (to watch) takes a direct object. Because we are talking about specific lions (the ones at the safari), it requires the definite accusative case. Aslanlar (lions) becomes aslanları to show he is watching the specific lions, rather than just watching lions in general.
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