Breakdown of Her şeyi dikte etmeye mecbur kalmak istemiyorum.
kalmak
to stay / to be left / to remain (in a state)
istemek
to want / to require / to call for
her
every
şey
thing
Questions & Answers about Her şeyi dikte etmeye mecbur kalmak istemiyorum.
Why does the verb dikte etmek change to dikte etmeye here?
The phrase mecbur kalmak (to be forced to) requires the action you are forced to do to be in the Dative case. Since you can't attach a case suffix to a full infinitive ending in -mek, we use the short verbal noun dikte etme, add the buffer -y-, and attach the Dative suffix -e.
What is the difference between using mecbur kalmak instead of mecbur olmak in this sentence?
Both mean 'to have to' or 'to be forced to', but kalmak (literally 'to remain' or 'to stay') emphasizes situational compulsion. Using mecbur kalmak means you are left with no other choice due to circumstances. The speaker doesn't want to end up in a situation where they have to dictate everything.
Why is Her şey written as Her şeyi with the accusative suffix?
It is the direct object of the verb dikte etmek (to dictate). In Turkish, Her şey (everything) is treated as a specific, definite object, so it must take the definite accusative suffix -i.
I know etmek is a helper verb, but what is dikte?
Dikte comes from French and means 'dictation'. Like in English, dikte etmek can mean reading text aloud for someone to write down, but here it is used in the figurative sense of imposing your will or giving strict orders to others.