Breakdown of İki arkadaşı kütüphanede fısıldaşırken buldum.
arkadaş
friend
iki
two
kütüphane
library
bulmak
to find
Questions & Answers about İki arkadaşı kütüphanede fısıldaşırken buldum.
Since -ken means "while," how do we know it refers to the friends whispering and not the speaker?
Normally, -ken refers to the subject of the main verb (which would mean you were whispering while you found them). However, this lesson's focus is on verbs of perception and discovery, like bulmak (to find), görmek (to see), and duymak (to hear). With these specific verbs, -ken modifies the direct object. Because iki arkadaşı is marked with the accusative case, we know they are the object being "found" while they were in the middle of that action.
Why is it iki arkadaşı with the accusative suffix instead of just iki arkadaş?
While a number usually leaves a noun indefinite as a direct object (iki arkadaş buldum translates to "I found two friends"), adding the accusative suffix -ı makes the object specific. This is why the translation says "I found the two friends." It implies you already knew about these friends or were actively looking for them.
What does the -ş- do in the word fısıldaşırken?
The -ş- is the reciprocal suffix, which indicates that an action is being done mutually between people. The base verb fısıldamak means "to whisper." By turning it into fısıldaşmak, it specifically means "to whisper to each other," which perfectly describes the interaction between the two friends.
Why do we use the aorist tense (-ır) before -ken in fısıldaşırken? Could I use the continuous tense (-ıyor) instead?