Breakdown of Eğer annem mantı yapsaydı, ben de kesinlikle yiyecektim.
ben
I
yemek
to eat
yapmak
to do / to make
anne
mother
de
too, also (de/da) / even if (concessive particle after conditional) / and (linking clauses)
kesinlikle
definitely
eğer
if
mantı
manti (Turkish ravioli)
Questions & Answers about Eğer annem mantı yapsaydı, ben de kesinlikle yiyecektim.
How do we know yapsaydı means "had made" rather than just "made"?
In Turkish, the -sAydI suffix combination can express both a present unreal condition ("if she made it now") and a past unreal condition ("if she had made it"). Context is key here. Because the result is yiyecektim (I would have eaten / I was going to eat), it points to an event that is already over. If you wanted to be absolutely clear that it was in the past, you could use the compound form yapmış olsaydı.
Why does yiyecektim translate to "I would have eaten" instead of "I was going to eat"?
The suffix combination -(y)AcAktI is the "future in the past." While its literal meaning is often "was going to [verb]," in the main clause of a past conditional sentence it translates perfectly to "would have [verb]ed." It shows that the action was certain to happen, but was ultimately blocked because the "if" condition wasn't met.
Why is de written as a separate word in ben de?
When de/da is written separately, it is a conjunction meaning "too" or "also." Here it translates to "I, too, would have..." If it were attached as a suffix (bende), it would be the locative case meaning "on me" or "at my house," which doesn't fit the sentence's meaning.
Is the word Eğer required here since the verb already has the conditional suffix?
No, Eğer is optional. The suffix -sa in yapsaydı already provides the "if" meaning. Using Eğer at the beginning of the sentence simply adds emphasis and gives the listener an early signal that a conditional statement is coming.
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