Breakdown of Biz kalkan kurmalıymışız, ne var ki hiçbir malzememiz yok.
biz
we
yok
there is not / non-existent
hiçbir
no / not any (determiner)
kurmak
to set up
malzeme
material
ne var ki
however, and yet
kalkan
shield
Questions & Answers about Biz kalkan kurmalıymışız, ne var ki hiçbir malzememiz yok.
What exactly does ne var ki mean here, and how is it different from ama?
Ne var ki means "however," "nevertheless," or "the problem is that." It acts as a conjunction of contrastive reservation. While it translates similarly to ama (but), ne var ki usually carries a stronger sense of introducing a complication, obstacle, or unfortunate fact that blocks the previous statement. It is often used when presenting a plan or situation, followed by the catch.
Can you break down the suffixes in kurmalıymışız?
Sure! It is formed by kur (build/set up) + malı (should/must) + y (buffer) + mış (evidential past) + ız (we). The combination of the necessitative (-malı) and the evidential past (-mış) translates to "apparently we were supposed to" or "I gathered that we should." It shows an obligation that the speaker learned about indirectly or after the fact.
The English translation says "materials" (plural), so why is it malzememiz and not malzemelerimiz?
Why is kurmak used for "to build" a shield here instead of yapmak?
Yapmak (to do/make) would also be understood, but kurmak carries the specific meaning of "setting up," "installing," or "assembling" something with a structure or a system. If a shield (kalkan) requires assembly, setting up a perimeter, or activating a device (like a sci-fi energy shield), kurmak is the perfect verb.
Learn Biz kalkan kurmalıymışız, ne var ki hiçbir malzememiz yok and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free