Breakdown of Onların tersine biz çalışıyoruz.
biz
we
onlar
they
çalışmak
to work / to study
tersine
on the contrary / in contrast
Questions & Answers about Onların tersine biz çalışıyoruz.
Why does Onların have a genitive suffix here?
The word tersine acts like a possessed noun in a compound. Because it literally means 'the opposite of them', the pronoun onlar takes the genitive suffix -ın to link with the possessive suffix on tersine.
Can you break down the suffixes on tersine?
The root is ters (opposite). First, we add the possessive suffix -i because it links to onların (their opposite). Then we add the buffer letter -n-, and finally the dative suffix -e (to/towards). Literally, it translates to 'to their opposite'.
Could I use aksine instead of tersine in this sentence?
Yes, onların aksine means exactly the same thing as onların tersine (unlike them). Both words are completely interchangeable when expressing contrary expectation.
Why is the pronoun biz included when çalışıyoruz already shows who is working?
While Turkish usually drops subject pronouns, biz is used here for emphasis and contrast. Because the sentence explicitly compares 'them' (onların) with 'us', including biz makes that contrast much stronger.