Breakdown of Bu rezaletle başa çıkmak bir yana, kapıları bile açamayacağız.
bu
this
kapı
door
açmak
to open
ile
with / by / and (linking nouns)
bile
even
bir yana
let alone / aside
rezalet
disgrace / total failure
başa çıkmak
to cope with / to deal with (successfully manage)
Questions & Answers about Bu rezaletle başa çıkmak bir yana, kapıları bile açamayacağız.
How does bir yana create the meaning of 'let alone' here?
The phrase bir yana literally means 'to one side'. When you place it immediately after a verb in its full infinitive form (-mAk, as in başa çıkmak), it translates to 'let alone doing [verb]' or 'never mind doing [verb]'. It sets up a contrast, showing that the first action is so out of reach that an even simpler action (opening the doors) is also impossible.
Why is the instrumental suffix -le attached to rezalet (disgrace)?
This is driven by the verb başa çıkmak, which is an idiom meaning 'to cope with', 'to tackle', or 'to deal with'. In Turkish, you always cope 'with' something using the instrumental case suffix -(y)lA. Therefore, 'coping with this disgrace' translates to bu rezaletle başa çıkmak.
Can you break down açamayacağız and explain where the 'be able to' part is?
The 'able to' meaning comes from the negative potential suffix -Ama. The breakdown is: aç- (open) + -ama- (not be able to) + -y- (buffer letter) + -acağ- (future tense) + -ız (we). If it were just a standard negative ('we won't open'), it would be açmayacağız using the simple negative -ma. That extra a makes all the difference!
Why is bile placed immediately after kapıları instead of before the verb?
In Turkish, bile (even) always comes directly after the word it emphasizes. Here, it emphasizes kapıları (the doors): 'we won't be able to open even the doors'. If you placed it after the verb (açamayacağız bile), the emphasis would shift to the action itself: 'we won't even be able to open (them)'.
Learn Bu rezaletle başa çıkmak bir yana, kapıları bile açamayacağız 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