Breakdown of Ona kumpas kuruyorlardır.
o
that / he / she / it
kurmak
to set up
kumpas
frame-up / plot (conspiracy)
Questions & Answers about Ona kumpas kuruyorlardır.
Why do we use the dative pronoun ona instead of the accusative onu?
The idiom kumpas kurmak (to set a trap or plot) directs the action toward someone. In Turkish, you set a trap 'to' someone, so the target requires the dative case (ona) rather than the accusative (onu).
What is the literal translation of kumpas kurmak?
The word kumpas originally refers to a measuring tool like a caliper or compass. In modern Turkish, the idiom kumpas kurmak is widely used to mean setting a trap, orchestrating a plot, or framing someone.
How does the suffix -dır change the meaning of the verb here?
While you learned earlier that -dır can state objective facts, at the B2 level you will frequently see it used for strong assumption or probability. Adding it to the present continuous verb kuruyorlar changes 'they are framing' to 'they must be framing' or 'I bet they are framing'.
Why is the suffix order kuruyorlardır instead of kuruyordurlar?
The standard order for these suffixes on a verb is tense + plural + probability. Therefore, it must be -yor-lar-dır. You attach the plural -lar directly to the tense marker -ıyor, and then cap it off with the assumption marker -dır at the very end.
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