Question 1

How does ister istemez literally translate to "inevitably"?

Accepted Answer

The phrase is made by combining the third-person affirmative and negative aorist forms of istemek (to want). İster means "(one) wants" and istemez means "(one) does not want." Together, they literally mean "whether one wants to or not." As an adverbial expression, this conveys that an action will happen regardless of anyone's desires, which translates smoothly to "inevitably" or "unavoidably."

Question 2

Can you break down the suffixes in the word unutkanlık?

Accepted Answer

It starts with the verb root unut- (to forget). The suffix -kan (which can also be -gan, -ken, etc. depending on vowel harmony) attaches to a verb to describe a habit or tendency, creating the adjective unutkan (forgetful). Finally, the suffix -lık creates an abstract noun out of the adjective, resulting in unutkanlık (forgetfulness).

Question 3

Is the word yaşlılıkta built the same way using the -lık suffix?

Accepted Answer

Yes! It begins with the noun yaş (age). Adding -lı (with/having) creates the adjective yaşlı (old/aged). Adding the abstract noun suffix -lık gives us yaşlılık (old age). Lastly, the locative case suffix -ta is added to mean "in old age."

Question 4

Why is the aorist tense used in artar instead of the present continuous?

Accepted Answer

The aorist tense (here seen as the -ar ending on artmak) is used to express general truths, natural rules, and timeless facts. Because this sentence is stating a universal fact about the aging process rather than a specific action unfolding right now, the aorist is the most natural tense to use.

Yaşlılıkta unutkanlık ister istemez artar.

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