Breakdown of Doğruyu söylemen koşuluyla hiçbir prensibi değiştirmem, yeter ki dürüst ol.
olmak
to be
söylemek
to say, to sing
hiçbir
no / not any (determiner)
değiştirmek
to change
dürüst
honest
doğru
correct, true
yeter ki
as long as / provided that (on the condition that)
koşuluyla
on the condition that
prensip
principle
Questions & Answers about Doğruyu söylemen koşuluyla hiçbir prensibi değiştirmem, yeter ki dürüst ol.
Why do we use söylemen here instead of the full infinitive söylemek before koşuluyla?
Because the person fulfilling the condition is different from the subject of the main sentence. "You" have to tell the truth, but "I" will not change the principles. When the subjects are different, we use the verbal noun (-me / -ma) plus a possessive ending to show who is doing the action: söyleme + -n (your telling). If the sentence was "I will not change anything on the condition that I tell the truth", it would just be söylemek koşuluyla.
How exactly does the word koşuluyla break down?
It consists of koşul (condition) + -u (3rd person possessive) + -(y)la (with). Literally, it means "with its condition". The possessive -u links it to the preceding phrase to mean "with the condition of your telling". You will also frequently see şartıyla used in the exact same way.
Why is it prensibi and not prensipi?
This is consonant mutation. When you add a suffix starting with a vowel to a word ending in p, it usually softens to b. Here, we added the accusative case marker -i because the principles are the specific direct object of the verb değiştirmem.
The English translation says "I will not change any principle", but the Turkish uses hiçbir. Does Turkish use double negatives?
Yes, Turkish grammar requires negative agreement here. The word hiçbir means "any" (in a negative context) or "no". To say "I will not change any principle", you must pair hiçbir with a negative verb, which in this case is değiştirmem (the negative aorist of değiştirmek for "I").
How does the phrase yeter ki work here?
yeter ki translates to "just", "as long as", or "provided that". It's a very common phrase used to emphasize a condition or make a plea. In Turkish, it is almost always followed by a verb in the imperative mood (like ol in this sentence) or the subjunctive/optative mood.
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