Breakdown of Tüm eleştirilere karşın projeyi ilk ayda tamamladılar.
proje
project
ay
month
ilk
first, initial
tüm
all, entire
tamamlamak
to complete
karşın
despite, in spite of (formal alternative to rağmen)
eleştiri
criticism
Questions & Answers about Tüm eleştirilere karşın projeyi ilk ayda tamamladılar.
Does karşın mean exactly the same thing as rağmen here?
Yes! Both mean "despite" or "in spite of" and both require the preceding noun to take the dative case (as seen with the -e on eleştirilere). Karşın is often considered slightly more formal or literary than rağmen, but you can use them interchangeably in almost all situations.
Why is eleştirilere plural when we already have the word tüm (all)? Doesn't Turkish usually avoid plural suffixes after quantity words?
Turkish avoids plural suffixes after exact numbers (like üç) and certain quantifiers (like çok or az). However, tüm (all) and bazı (some) frequently take plural nouns. Here, tüm eleştiriler specifically means "all the criticisms." The dative -e is then added to the end because of the postposition karşın.
Why does proje have the -(y)i ending attached to it?
It takes the definite accusative suffix -(y)i because it is the specific direct object of the verb tamamlamak (to complete). They aren't completing just any project; they are completing "the" specific project mentioned.
What is the difference between tamamlamak and bitirmek in this context?
Bitirmek simply means "to finish" or "to end." Tamamlamak is related to the word tam (full/complete) and means "to complete" or "to make whole." While you could easily use bitirdiler here, tamamladılar emphasizes that the project was formally brought to its successful and proper conclusion.
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