Breakdown of Mantıken onunla tartışmak bile nafile.
o
that / he / she / it
ile
with / by / and (linking nouns)
tartışmak
to discuss / to argue
bile
even
Questions & Answers about Mantıken onunla tartışmak bile nafile.
How is the adverb mantıken formed? I only know the noun mantık (logic).
The suffix -en (or -an) is an old borrowing from Arabic used to turn certain nouns into adverbs. So mantık (logic) becomes mantıken (logically). You don't use this suffix to create new words yourself, but as a B2 learner you will start noticing it on a set group of common words, such as şahsen (personally), aslen (originally), and kısmen (partially).
Does tartışmak mean 'to discuss' or 'to argue' here?
It can mean either depending on the context! In formal or academic settings, it simply means 'to discuss' an issue. However, in interpersonal contexts—especially when paired with negative words like nafile (futile)—it translates to 'to argue' or 'to bicker'.
Why is the plain infinitive tartışmak used here instead of a form with a case ending, like tartışmayı?
In this sentence, the entire phrase onunla tartışmak (arguing with him) is the subject of the sentence ('Arguing with him is...'). When an abstract action is the subject of a 'to be' sentence, it takes the plain dictionary form (-mAk) without any extra case endings.
Could bile be placed at the beginning of the sentence to say 'Even arguing with him...'?