Breakdown of Hazır zemin temizlikçi tarafından paspasla temizlenmişken lütfen içeri girmeyin.
lütfen
please
girmek
to enter
ile
with / by / and (linking nouns)
zemin
ground
içeri
inside, in (direction)
tarafından
by (agent in passive voice)
temizlikçi
cleaner
temizlenmek
to be cleaned
hazır
since / now that (seizing the opportunity)
paspas
mop / doormat
Questions & Answers about Hazır zemin temizlikçi tarafından paspasla temizlenmişken lütfen içeri girmeyin.
How does the suffix -mişken work in temizlenmişken, and how is it different from temizlenirken?
The suffix -ken means "while". If you used temizlenirken (present continuous + -ken), it would mean "while the floor is being cleaned" (an ongoing action). By combining the perfective -miş and -ken, we get the "opportunistic converb of a pre-existing state." It focuses on the resulting state, meaning "while it is in the state of having already been cleaned," which we translate here as "Since it has already been cleaned."
Why is the word Hazır (ready) placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Hazır frequently pairs with the -mişken structure. While it literally means "ready," in this context, the combination Hazır ... -mişken acts as a very common chunk meaning "Since [it] is already done..." or "While we have the opportunity/result of [X]...". It emphasizes taking advantage of an existing state.
Could I use the -cE suffix instead of tarafından to say "by the cleaner"?
No, it wouldn't sound natural here. While both can mean "by" in passive sentences, the suffix -cE (or -çE) is generally reserved for formal groups, institutions, or collective authorities (e.g., komitece - by the committee). For specific individuals, everyday people, or professions like temizlikçi, you must use tarafından.
Why is it "içeri girmeyin" without the dative suffix (içeriye)?
In Turkish, specific spatial words like içeri (inside), dışarı (outside), and yukarı (up) often drop the dative suffix (-(y)E) when used right before verbs of motion like girmek (to enter) or çıkmak (to go out). While içeriye girmeyin is also grammatically correct, the bare form içeri is much more common and natural in everyday speech.
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