Word
Badanayı üstünkörü yaptıkları yetmiyormuş gibi, diğer işleri de savsakladılar.
Meaning
As if it weren't enough that they did the whitewash superficially, they slacked off on the other jobs too.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Badanayı üstünkörü yaptıkları yetmiyormuş gibi, diğer işleri de savsakladılar.
iş
work
yapmak
to do / to make
gibi
like (similar to)
de
too, also (de/da) / even if (concessive particle after conditional) / and (linking clauses)
Questions & Answers about Badanayı üstünkörü yaptıkları yetmiyormuş gibi, diğer işleri de savsakladılar.
How exactly does yaptıkları yetmiyormuş gibi break down to mean "as if it weren't enough that they did"?
This structure has two main parts. First, the verb takes the -dık participle and a possessive ending to form a noun clause: yap-tık-ları (their doing). Second, yetmiyormuş gibi literally means "as if it is apparently not sufficing" (from yetmek, to suffice). Together, they form the set phrase "as if their doing [X] wasn't enough," which is used to complain about a sequence of bad actions.
The lesson also mentioned yetmezmiş gibi. Could I use that here instead of yetmiyormuş gibi?
Yes, absolutely. In this specific grammar pattern, the aorist version (yetmezmiş gibi) and the present continuous version (yetmiyormuş gibi) are virtually interchangeable. Both express the same feeling of compounded grievance: "as if that weren't enough..."
Üstünkörü is a very descriptive word for "superficially." Where does it come from?
Üstünkörü is a fixed compound adverb. It is conceptually built from üstün (its top/surface) and kör (blind). It evokes the image of skimming over a task blindly, only touching the surface. You'll often hear it used with verbs like yapmak or bakmak to describe a careless, rushed job.
What is the nuance of savsakladılar compared to just saying they were lazy (tembellik ettiler)?