Breakdown of Molozu temizlemedikleri yetmiyormuş gibi, bu çile tam üç ay sürdü.
bu
this
üç
three
temizlemek
to clean
ay
month
tam
exactly / fully / completely
gibi
like (similar to)
sürmek
to last / to take (time)
yetmek
to suffice, be enough
moloz
rubble / debris (construction waste)
çile
ordeal / suffering
Questions & Answers about Molozu temizlemedikleri yetmiyormuş gibi, bu çile tam üç ay sürdü.
How is the "as if it weren't enough that..." structure formed in this sentence?
It uses the pattern temizlemedikleri yetmiyormuş gibi. First, we take the verb temizlemek, add the negative -me, the participle -dik, and the third-person plural possessive -leri to mean "their not cleaning". Then we add yetmiyormuş gibi, which literally means "as if it is not sufficing".
Why do we use yetmiyormuş with the -muş suffix instead of just yetmiyor?
The -muş suffix here does not indicate reported speech. When combined with the continuous tense -iyor and the word gibi, it creates a hypothetical or "as if" mood. It translates perfectly to the English subjunctive "as if it weren't enough" rather than the factual "it is not enough".
Why does moloz take the accusative suffix -u to become molozu?
The verb temizlemek (to clean) requires a direct object. Because the speaker is referring to the specific rubble left behind from a particular event, it takes the definite accusative case -u. If they were talking about cleaning rubble in a general, non-specific sense, it would just be moloz temizlemedikleri.
What does the word çile add to the sentence, and could I just use sorun?
While sorun simply means "problem", çile means "ordeal", "suffering", or "trial". Using çile adds a significant amount of emotional weight to the sentence, emphasizing the deep frustration of enduring this situation for exactly three months.
I know ay means month, but as a quick refresher, why isn't it pluralized as aylar after the number üç?
This is a classic Turkish rule that is always good to review: when a noun is preceded by a number indicating its exact quantity, the noun remains in the singular form. Therefore, it is always üç ay and never üç aylar.
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