Breakdown of Tamirhaneye gitmişken o eski tornavidayı da geri verelim.
o
that / he / she / it
gitmek
to go
vermek
to give
eski
old
de
too, also (de/da) / even if (concessive particle after conditional) / and (linking clauses)
geri
back (direction or movement)
tamirhane
repair shop / garage (mechanic's)
tornavida
screwdriver
Questions & Answers about Tamirhaneye gitmişken o eski tornavidayı da geri verelim.
How exactly does gitmişken translate to 'since we went' in this context?
This is the core of the opportunistic converb being taught in this lesson. It combines git- (go) with the perfective suffix -miş and the 'while' suffix -(y)ken. Literally meaning 'while having gone,' it is used to say 'since we are already in the state of having gone' or 'while we are at it.' It seizes a convenient opportunity created by an existing situation.
If we are already at the repair shop, why does tamirhaneye take the dative case (direction towards) rather than the locative case (location at)?
The noun case is governed strictly by the verb root it attaches to. Because the root verb is gitmek (to go), it requires the dative suffix -(y)e to indicate destination. Even though the -mişken ending implies the journey is over and we are currently there, the grammar of 'going to a place' remains intact.
gitmişken uses a past-looking suffix (-miş), but the main verb verelim ('let's give') is a future-oriented suggestion. Is this a tense mismatch?
Not at all! The -miş in a -mişken structure does not set the timeline for the whole sentence. Instead, it establishes a pre-existing state. It simply means the action of going is complete enough to create an opportunity, which we can then comfortably act upon in the present or future with verelim.
Which grammar structure gives us 'let's give' in verelim?
This is a quick refresher on the first-person plural optative form. By adding -alım or -elim to a verb stem, you create a 'let us' suggestion. Here, ver- (give) plus -elim becomes 'let us give'. Notice how beautifully it pairs with the opportunistic converb: 'since we are already here, let us do this additional thing'.
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