Learn Turkish: Arka koltuktaki sarsıntıdan nefessiz kaldık. - We were left breathless from the jolt in the back seat.

The ablative suffix (-dan/-den) is frequently used to show the direct physical or emotional cause of a reaction. Here, it translates perfectly to "from" in English ("from the jolt"). While you could technically say sarsıntı yüzünden, using the bare noun with the ablative case is a very natural and concise way to express cause in Turkish.

What does the -ki do at the end of koltuktaki?

It acts as a relative suffix that turns a location into an adjective. Arka koltukta means "in the back seat." By adding -ki, you create koltuktaki, which means "the one that is in the back seat." This allows the entire phrase to directly describe the noun that follows it: sarsıntı (the jolt).

Why use kaldık (we stayed/remained) instead of a verb for "we became"?

In Turkish, kalmak is often paired with adjectives ending in -siz (without) to describe ending up or being stuck in a certain physical or emotional state. Nefessiz kalmak is a common set phrase meaning "to be left breathless" or "to lose one's breath." You will see this pattern in other phrases too, such as sessiz kalmak (to remain silent) or çaresiz kalmak (to be left helpless).

How is the noun sarsıntı formed?