Breakdown of Sekretere lobide bir toplantı organize ettirtti.
bir
a / an
toplantı
meeting
sekreter
secretary
lobi
lobby
organize etmek
to organize (events, loanword)
Questions & Answers about Sekretere lobide bir toplantı organize ettirtti.
How exactly is the double causative formed in the word ettirtti?
It starts with the auxiliary verb et (to do). First, we add the causative suffix -tir, making ettir (to have someone do). Then we add the second causative suffix -t, making ettirt (to have someone get someone else to do). Finally, we add the past tense -ti, resulting in ettirtti.
What is the difference in meaning between organize ettirdi and organize ettirtti?
Using the single causative organize ettirdi means "He had the secretary organize a meeting" (the secretary does the organizing). The double causative organize ettirtti technically means he had the secretary get someone else (like a hotel staff member) to organize it. Note that native speakers sometimes use the double causative just to emphasize the act of delegation, even if the secretary is the one doing the work!
Why does sekreter take the dative case (sekretere) instead of the accusative?
The base verb organize etmek (to organize) is already transitive—it takes a direct object (bir toplantı). A key rule of the causative is that when you make a transitive verb causative, the person who is told to do the action takes the dative case (-e/-a). If the base verb were intransitive (like uyumak, to sleep), the person would take the accusative.
Why does the causative suffix attach to etmek rather than organize?
Organize etmek is a compound verb made of a borrowed foreign word (organize) and an auxiliary verb (etmek). In Turkish, all verbal suffixes—such as causatives, passives, and tenses—must attach to the actual verb part of the compound, which is why it becomes organize ettirtti rather than modifying the word organize.
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