Word
Demek ki onun bu işe kalkışma olasılığı sıfırdı.
Meaning
It means the probability of him attempting this job was zero.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Demek ki onun bu işe kalkışma olasılığı sıfırdı.
bu
this
o
that / he / she / it
iş
work
ki
that (conjunction) / so... that
Questions & Answers about Demek ki onun bu işe kalkışma olasılığı sıfırdı.
How does the structure for "probability of him attempting" work here? Why isn't there a possessive suffix on kalkışma?
This is the core of our current lesson. We use the short verbal noun -mA (kalkışma) combined with an abstract noun (olasılık) that takes the possessive suffix (-ı). This creates the compound noun kalkışma olasılığı (probability of attempting). The person doing the action is expressed with the genitive pronoun onun (his) modifying the whole compound. We don't say onun kalkışması olasılığı; the short verbal noun stays bare, and the possessive goes on the abstract noun.
Why is the dative case used in bu işe instead of the accusative bu işi?
The verb kalkışmak (to attempt / to undertake) always requires the dative case (-A) for the thing being attempted. You can think of it as launching into a task or rising to an occasion. Therefore, bu iş (this job) becomes bu işe.
Is there a difference in nuance between kalkışmak and denemek?
Yes, a very distinct one. While denemek is a neutral "to try" or "to test," kalkışmak implies attempting something difficult, risky, or presumptuous. It often carries the feeling of biting off more than you can chew, which fits perfectly with a sentence concluding that someone had a "zero probability" of actually doing it.
What is the exact function of at the start of the sentence?