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Bizi küçümsedikçe hata yapıyorlar.

Bizi küçümsedikçe hata yapıyorlar.
They are making a mistake as they belittle us.
From Lesson 397:Attitude and perception verbs (-(i)msemek)·Turkish

Questions & Answers about Bizi küçümsedikçe hata yapıyorlar.

How is the root verb küçümsemek built from the word for 'small'?
The root word is the adjective küçük (small). The suffix -(i)mse is added to nouns or adjectives to mean 'to regard as' or 'to treat like'. Therefore, küçümsemek literally means 'to regard as small', which translates nicely to 'to belittle' or 'to look down on'.
What happened to the 'k' at the end of küçük?
It was dropped. When the -imse suffix is attached to küçük, the final k disappears. This is a common spelling rule called consonant dropping, which often happens to words ending in k when they take certain suffixes (you might remember this from the diminutive suffix -cik, making küçücük).
What meaning does the -dikçe suffix add to küçümsedikçe?
The suffix -dikçe (or -dıkça) means 'as', 'as long as', or 'the more...'. Here, küçümsedikçe translates to 'as they belittle' or 'the more they belittle'. It shows that the action of them making mistakes happens in parallel with their continuous belittling.
Why does küçümsemek take the accusative bizi instead of the dative bize?
In English, we often say 'look down ON us', which makes the dative bize (to/for us) tempting. However, in Turkish, küçümsemek takes a direct object. You directly 'belittle us', so biz takes the accusative case -i, becoming bizi.

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