Breakdown of Mutfağı batırmamalıydı; üstünkörü çalıştığı yetmiyormuş gibi boruları da kırdı.
mutfak
kitchen
çalışmak
to work / to study
kırmak
to break
gibi
like (similar to)
de
too, also (de/da) / even if (concessive particle after conditional) / and (linking clauses)
boru
pipe
yetmek
to suffice, be enough
üstünkörü
superficially / hastily
batırmak
to mess up / to ruin (a situation or business)
Questions & Answers about Mutfağı batırmamalıydı; üstünkörü çalıştığı yetmiyormuş gibi boruları da kırdı.
Why is the evidential suffix -muş used in yetmiyormuş gibi instead of a simple present or past tense?
The combination of the progressive -yor- and the evidential -muş (yetmiyormuş) translates to "as if it were (reportedly) not enough." In Turkish, using -muş gibi is the standard way to express a hypothetical or counterfactual "as if" scenario. While his working superficially is a fact, treating it as "not enough" to justify further damage is framed as a hypothetical grievance.
Why does çalışmak take the -dIğI suffix here to form çalıştığı?
To connect a verb clause to yetmiyormuş gibi (as if it weren't enough that...), you first have to turn the action into a noun phrase. You do this using the participle -dIk plus a possessive ending to show who did the action. Here, çalış- + -tık + -ı (his) becomes çalıştığı, literally meaning "his having worked."
Can we break down the suffixes on batırmamalıydı?
Absolutely. It consists of the verb stem batır- (to ruin/mess up), the negative suffix -ma, the obligation suffix -malı (must/should), the buffer letter -y-, and the past tense -dı. Together, -malıydı forms the past obligation tense. With the negative -ma, it means "should not have."
Doesn't batırmak normally mean "to sink"?
Yes, its literal meaning is to sink or submerge something (it is the causative form of batmak, to sink). However, in everyday spoken Turkish, it is very commonly used figuratively to mean "to make a massive mess of," "to ruin," or "to botch" a situation or physical space—just like wrecking a kitchen here.
Üstünkörü is an interesting word. How is it constructed and used?
Üstünkörü is a compound adverb meaning "superficially," "carelessly," or "in a cursory way." It historically derives from combining the ideas of "surface/top" and "blind." You use it when someone does a task just for the sake of getting it done, without paying any real attention to quality or detail.
Learn Mutfağı batırmamalıydı; üstünkörü çalıştığı yetmiyormuş gibi boruları da kırdı and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free