Breakdown of Benim kontrol etmem gereken termometre kırıldı.
ben
I
kontrol etmek
to check
kırılmak
to get hurt emotionally / to break (intransitive)
gerekmek
to be necessary / to be needed
Questions & Answers about Benim kontrol etmem gereken termometre kırıldı.
How does the phrase kontrol etmem gereken termometre literally translate into the English meaning?
The structure uses a verbal noun plus the participle gereken (which is necessary). kontrol et- takes the verbal noun suffix -me and the 1st-person possessive -m to become kontrol etmem (my checking). gereken links this to the noun. Literally, it translates to: "the thermometer [that] my checking [is] necessary [for]."
Since etmem already has the "my" ending, do we really need Benim at the start of the sentence?
No, Benim is optional. The -m suffix on etmem is enough to show who has to do the checking. Including Benim here adds emphasis, meaning "The thermometer I must check" (implying contrast, like "...as opposed to the one you must check").
Could I use kontrol etmek zorunda olduğum instead of kontrol etmem gereken?
Yes, kontrol etmek zorunda olduğum termometre is grammatically correct and means nearly the same thing. However, -mA + possessive + gereken is the most natural way to express everyday necessities or tasks. Using zorunda olduğum sounds stronger, like a strict obligation or being forced to do it.
Why is the verb kırıldı (passive) used here instead of just kırdı?