Breakdown of Ben kuruntu yapmıyorum ki!
ben
I
yapmak
to do / to make
ki
but ... (trailing particle of exasperation)
kuruntu
delusion / unfounded suspicion
Questions & Answers about Ben kuruntu yapmıyorum ki!
Why is the particle ki at the end of the sentence translated as "But" at the beginning?
In this sentence, the trailing ki expresses exasperation and counter-expectation. The speaker is likely reacting defensively to someone accusing them of being paranoid. In English, we often express this defensive, frustrated tone by starting the sentence with "But...!" or ending it with "...you know!".
What exactly is a kuruntu? Is it a serious medical delusion?
Not usually. While it can translate to "delusion", in everyday Turkish kuruntu refers to a groundless suspicion, unnecessary worry, or overthinking. If you are convinced your friends are secretly mad at you with no evidence, that is a kuruntu.
Why do we use the verb yapmak (to do) here?
Kuruntu yapmak is a common set phrase that means "to worry for no reason" or "to be paranoid". Turkish frequently pairs nouns with helper verbs like yapmak or etmek to turn those concepts into active verbs.
Since yapmıyorum already means "I am not doing", why is Ben (I) explicitly used?
You could grammatically drop it, but keeping Ben adds emphasis. Combined with the exasperated ki, explicitly saying Ben sounds very defensive, emphasizing that "I am not the one making things up!"