Breakdown of Çabalamıyor ama en azından felsefesi zarar vermemektir.
ama
but
çabalamak
to strive
zarar vermek
to damage
en azından
at least (quantitatively)
felsefe
philosophy
Questions & Answers about Çabalamıyor ama en azından felsefesi zarar vermemektir.
How does the word vermemektir function as the predicate here?
In this sentence, we are equating 'his philosophy' with the concept of 'not causing harm'. To do this in Turkish, you take the infinitive form of the verb, which is the negative vermemek here, and add the 'to be' suffix -tir. This turns the infinitive into the main verb of the clause, literally meaning 'is to not cause harm'.
Is the -tir suffix in vermemektir mandatory?
In everyday spoken Turkish, the -tir is often dropped, leaving just felsefesi zarar vermemek. However, adding -tir makes the sentence grammatically complete and gives it a factual, definitive tone, which is especially fitting when stating someone's philosophy or asserting a general truth.
Why use the infinitive -mAk here instead of the verbal noun -mA (like vermemesidir)?
When you equate a subject with a general action or concept, you use the -mAk infinitive. If you used the possessive verbal noun vermemesidir, it would literally mean 'his philosophy is his not giving harm', which is redundant and sounds unnatural. The infinitive keeps the focus on the general concept of 'not causing harm'.
How is the phrase en azından formed to mean 'at least'?
It is built from az (little) and en az (the least). By adding a possessive suffix and the ablative case suffix (-ından), it becomes a fixed adverbial phrase literally meaning 'from its least' or 'at least'. This is a very common and highly useful transition phrase at the B2 level.
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