Breakdown of Soruyu sordum ama o anlamazlıktan geldi.
o
that / he / she / it
soru
question
gelmek
to come
anlamak
to understand
Questions & Answers about Soruyu sordum ama o anlamazlıktan geldi.
How exactly does anlamazlıktan geldi mean "pretended not to understand"? What are the parts of this word?
This is a common fixed structure for feigning ignorance. It is built on the verb root anla- (understand). First, the negative aorist -maz is added to make it "one who does not understand". Then, -lık turns it into an abstract noun: "the state of not understanding". Finally, the ablative -tan and the verb geldi (he came) are attached. Literally, it means "he came from the state of not understanding," which is the Turkish idiom for "he pretended not to understand."
If I wanted to say "he is pretending not to understand" right now, would the -maz part change?
No, the -mazlıktan part stays completely fixed regardless of the tense you want to use. To change when the pretending happens, you only conjugate the main verb gelmek. For example, "he is pretending" would be anlamazlıktan geliyor, and "he will pretend" would be anlamazlıktan gelecek.
Could I use this -mAzlIktAn gelmek structure with any verb to mean pretending?
While it can be used with various verbs, it specifically means pretending not to do or know something (feigning ignorance, deafness, etc.). Alongside anlamazlıktan gelmek, the most common variations you will hear are duymazlıktan gelmek (to pretend not to hear) and bilmezlikten gelmek (to pretend not to know).
Why is there a -yu on soruyu instead of just saying ?