Breakdown of Sırrı biliyorsun, lütfen bilmezlikten gelme.
lütfen
please
gelmek
to come
bilmek
to know
sır
secret
Questions & Answers about Sırrı biliyorsun, lütfen bilmezlikten gelme.
How exactly does bilmezlikten gelme mean 'pretend not to know'?
This is a classic Turkish idiom for feigning ignorance. It combines bil- (know), the negative aorist suffix -mez, the noun-maker -lik ('the state of not knowing'), and the ablative suffix -ten ('from'). Coupled with the negative imperative verb gelme (don't come), it literally translates to 'don't come from the state of not knowing'.
Why is there a double 'r' in sırrı?
The root word for 'secret' is sır, which is an Arabic loanword. In Turkish, many of these one-syllable loanwords double their final consonant when a suffix starting with a vowel is attached. Here, adding the specific accusative suffix -ı makes it sırrı.
Why is biliyorsun (present continuous) used instead of bilirsin (aorist) for 'you know'?
While bilirsin implies a general, timeless fact, biliyorsun is used here because the context is immediate and specific. You are holding this knowledge right now in this exact situation, so the present continuous is more natural to confront the person with the fact.
There are two negative suffixes in bilmezlikten gelme (-mez and -me). Does this create a confusing double negative?
They don't cancel each other out because they apply to different parts of the concept. The -mez creates the noun concept of 'not knowing' (bilmezlik). The -me is simply the negative command telling the person 'do not do this action'. Together, they simply mean 'do not act out the state of not knowing'.
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