Questions & Answers about Çocuk öğretmeni duymazlıktan geldi.
How does duymazlıktan geldi translate to "pretended not to hear"?
This is a set grammatical structure for feigning ignorance. Let's break it down: duy (hear) + maz (negative aorist suffix meaning "does not") + lık (creates an abstract noun, "the state of") + tan (ablative case, "from") + geldi (came). Literally, it translates to "came from the state of not hearing." In Turkish, this formula (-mAzlıktan gelmek) is the standard way to say you are ignoring something or turning a blind eye or deaf ear to it.
Why is there an -i at the end of öğretmeni?
Even though the main conjugated verb of the sentence is geldi (which doesn't normally take a direct object), the object here belongs to the root verb duymak (to hear) hidden inside the pretense structure. Since the child is ignoring a specific, known person ("the teacher"), öğretmen requires the definite accusative case ending -i.
Why does the ablative case suffix take the form -tan here instead of -dan?
The preceding suffix -lık ends in k, which is an unvoiced (hard) consonant. Because of Turkish consonant harmony rules, any suffix starting with d changes to t when it attaches to a hard consonant. Therefore, -dan becomes -tan.
Could I just use gibi yapmak (to act like / to pretend) instead of this complex structure?
Yes, you could say Çocuk öğretmeni duymamış gibi yaptı (The child acted as if they hadn't heard the teacher). However, -mAzlıktan gelmek is much more natural and common when talking about specifically ignoring something. While gibi yapmak is a general way to say "pretend," this lesson's structure carries the specific nuance of deliberate avoidance.
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