Word
Suçluyu kaçarken suçüstü yakaladık.
Meaning
We caught the criminal red-handed while he was escaping.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Suçluyu kaçarken suçüstü yakaladık.
kaçmak
to run away
suçlu
criminal
yakalamak
to catch
suçüstü
red-handed
Questions & Answers about Suçluyu kaçarken suçüstü yakaladık.
How do we know kaçarken (while escaping) refers to the criminal and not to us?
The suffix -(y)ken normally refers to the subject of the sentence. But with verbs of perception or discovery, like yakalamak (to catch), it modifies the direct object. Because suçluyu (the criminal) is the direct object, kaçarken describes his action, not ours.
Why is kaçarken placed after suçluyu rather than at the beginning of the sentence?
Word order is crucial here. Placing kaçarken right after suçluyu makes it clear that the criminal is the one escaping. If you put kaçarken at the very beginning of the sentence, the default rule applies and it would sound like we caught the criminal while we were escaping.
How is the word suçüstü formed?
It is a compound noun made of suç (crime) and üstü (its top / on top of it). Together they form a fixed expression meaning 'in the act' or 'red-handed'. You will very often see it paired with yakalamak.
Why does kaçarken use the aorist tense suffix -ar before -ken?