Breakdown of Çoğu yenildi, yine de zafer pahasına onurlarını korudular.
de
too, also (de/da) / even if (concessive particle after conditional) / and (linking clauses)
korumak
to protect
çoğu
most of them
yenilmek
to be defeated
Questions & Answers about Çoğu yenildi, yine de zafer pahasına onurlarını korudular.
How does zafer pahasına translate to "at the cost of victory," and what is the grammar behind it?
Pahasına comes from the noun paha (price/value). It is built with the 3rd person possessive -sı and the dative case -na, literally meaning "to its price." When paired with a noun like zafer (victory), it forms a compound meaning "at the price of victory" or "at the cost of victory." As you're learning in this lesson, you can also use it with verbs by attaching it to the -mAk infinitive, such as ölmek pahasına (at the cost of dying).
Why does the sentence use yenildi for "lost" instead of a form of kaybetmek?
Kaybetmek means "to lose" in the sense of misplacing an object or losing possession of something. Yenildi is the passive form of yenmek (to beat/defeat). Therefore, yenilmek literally means "to be defeated." When talking about sports, battles, or competitions, Turkish usually prefers yenilmek to express that someone "lost" to an opponent.
Why is the first verb singular (yenildi) but the second verb plural (korudular)?