Breakdown of Tutarsız patron kâh kibirli kâh mütevazıydı.
patron
boss
kibirli
arrogant
kâh
sometimes, now (used correlatively as kâh ... kâh ...)
tutarsız
inconsistent
Questions & Answers about Tutarsız patron kâh kibirli kâh mütevazıydı.
How does the conjunction kâh ... kâh ... work in this sentence?
It translates to "sometimes ... sometimes ..." or "now ... now ...". It is used to show alternating states or actions. In this sentence, it wraps around two contrasting adjectives (kibirli and mütevazı) to emphasize the boss's unpredictable mood swings.
Why is the past tense suffix -ydı only attached to mütevazı and not kibirli?
When listing characteristics connected by conjunctions like kâh ... kâh ..., Turkish typically attaches the "to be" ending (like the past tense -ydı) only to the final word. It automatically applies to kibirli as well. While kâh kibirliydi kâh mütevazıydı is grammatically possible, dropping the first suffix sounds much more natural and less repetitive.
What is the literal breakdown of the word tutarsız (inconsistent)?
It comes from the verb tutmak (to hold). When you take its broad present tense form tutar (it holds) and add the suffix -sız (without), you get a word that literally means "without holding" or "doesn't hold together".
Why is there a y in mütevazıydı?