Breakdown of Eskiden çok çekingendim, şimdi daha girişken olabilirim.
çok
very
şimdi
now
olmak
to be
daha
more
eskiden
in the old days, formerly
çekingen
shy / timid (reserved)
girişken
sociable / outgoing
Questions & Answers about Eskiden çok çekingendim, şimdi daha girişken olabilirim.
How is çekingendim formed, and what does the root verb mean?
It comes from the verb çekinmek (to hesitate, hold back, or be shy). The suffix -gen attaches to the verb root to create an adjective describing a tendency or habit: çekingen (shy or timid). Finally, -dim is the past tense ending for 'I', making it 'I was shy.'
What is the root of girişken, and why does it use -ken instead of -gen?
The root is girişmek, which means to engage in, tackle, or initiate an action. Because the root ends with the voiceless consonant ş, the suffix undergoes consonant mutation and changes from -gen to -ken. This forms girişken, meaning outgoing, sociable, or enterprising.
Why use olabilirim instead of just saying girişkenim (I am outgoing)?
Saying girişkenim would mean 'I am currently outgoing' as an absolute fact. Using the potential suffix with the aorist tense, olabilirim (I can be), softens the statement. It means 'I am capable of being' or 'I have the potential to be' more outgoing now, which highlights a change in ability rather than a permanent state.
Does eskiden literally mean 'from the old'?
Literally, yes, it is the word eski (old) with the ablative case suffix -den (from). However, it functions as a fixed time adverb meaning 'in the past' or 'formerly.' It is very commonly used to set up a 'used to' contrast with şimdi (now).
Learn Eskiden çok çekingendim, şimdi daha girişken olabilirim 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