Breakdown of Motoru modifiye etmek için kendi arabamızın kaputunu açtık.
araba
car
açmak
to open
motor
engine
için
for
Questions & Answers about Motoru modifiye etmek için kendi arabamızın kaputunu açtık.
How does the word kendi work in the phrase kendi arabamızın?
It acts as an emphatic modifier meaning "our own". In this structure, kendi stays exactly as it is, while the following noun takes the possessive suffix that matches the owner. Here, araba takes -mız (our) and then the genitive suffix -ın, making it "our own car's".
Why does the word kaputunu end with two -u suffixes?
It is part of the genitive-possessive chain arabamızın kaputu (our car's hood), where the first -u is the possessive suffix belonging to the car. The second -u is the accusative case suffix (separated by the buffer -n-) because the hood is the specific direct object of the main verb açtık (we opened).
Why is the accusative case used on Motoru if the main verb at the end of the sentence is açtık?
The accusative case on Motoru is actually triggered by the infinitive verb modifiye etmek right next to it, not the main verb. We are talking about modifying a specific engine, so it must take the definite accusative suffix -u.
Why is the action "to modify" expressed as two words, modifiye etmek?