Breakdown of Asıl sorun olan kilidi sökmüşken kapıyı da boyamak zorundayız.
kapı
door
olmak
to be
boyamak
to paint
kilit
lock
de
too, also (de/da) / even if (concessive particle after conditional) / and (linking clauses)
zorunda
to have to, to be obliged to
sorun
problem
sökmek
to dismantle
asıl
real, actual
Questions & Answers about Asıl sorun olan kilidi sökmüşken kapıyı da boyamak zorundayız.
The translation says "Since we have removed", but doesn't -ken usually mean "while"?
Yes, -ken added to a present-tense base (like sökerken) means "while removing". However, here it attaches to the completed state suffix -miş, forming sökmüşken. This creates an "opportunistic" meaning: "since we have already removed it" or "while we're at it, having removed it." It describes taking advantage of a situation that has already been achieved.
How does olan work in the phrase asıl sorun olan kilidi?
Olan is the present participle of olmak (to be), literally meaning "that which is". In Turkish, you cannot directly place a noun phrase like asıl sorun (the main problem) in front of another noun like kilit (lock) to describe it. You must use olan to link them, creating the relative clause: "the lock, which is the main problem".
Why is the word for lock spelled kilidi instead of kilit?
The dictionary form is kilit. It takes the accusative case ending -i here because it is the specific direct object of the verb sökmek (to remove). As a B2 refresher: when a vowel suffix is added to a native or fully assimilated noun ending in -t, that consonant usually softens to -d, changing kilit-i into kilidi.
Why do we use the dictionary form boyamak right before zorundayız?
To express "having to" or being obliged to do something, Turkish uses the full infinitive form of the verb (ending in -mak or -mek) followed by zorunda plus a personal ending. Here, boyamak zorundayız literally translates to "we are in the obligation to paint".
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