Question 1

Why is bilmiyordu translated as "was not appreciating" instead of "didn't know"?

Accepted Answer

In Turkish, the phrase kıymet bilmek (literally "to know the value") is an idiom that means "to appreciate" or "to value" something. So, kıymetini bilmiyordu translates naturally to "was not appreciating its value" rather than literally "was not knowing."

Question 2

Can you break down the suffixes in şeyin kıymetini?

Accepted Answer

This is a genitive-possessive chain that is also receiving the accusative case. Hiçbir şey-in ("of anything") is the genitive part. Kıymet-i ("its value") is the possessive part. Because this entire phrase is the direct specific object of the verb bilmiyordu, we add the accusative case marker -i using the buffer letter n, resulting in kıymetini.

Question 3

Since hiçbir şey already means "nothing," why is the verb bilmiyordu also negative?

Accepted Answer

Turkish requires negative concord (double negatives). When you use negative-polarity words like hiçbir (any/no), hiç kimse (nobody), or asla (never), the verb must always take a negative suffix. So to say "he appreciated nothing," Turkish logic dictates you say "he did not appreciate nothing."

Question 4

Could I use the simple past bilmedi instead of the past continuous bilmiyordu here?

Accepted Answer

You could, but it changes the nuance. Bilmiyordu (past continuous) describes an ongoing state or habit in the past—he was continually failing to appreciate things. Bilmedi (simple past) would sound more like a single, isolated event or a closed, factual summary of his life.

Nankör adam hiçbir şeyin kıymetini bilmiyordu.

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