Breakdown of Onun gelişi herkesi şaşırttı.
o
that / he / she / it
herkes
everyone
şaşırmak
to be surprised
geliş
arrival
Questions & Answers about Onun gelişi herkesi şaşırttı.
The word gelişi translates to 'his arrival'. Does it use the -im suffix we are studying in this lesson?
No, geliş uses the -iş suffix, which is another common way to turn a verb into a noun. While -im usually creates a noun for the result of an action (like çözüm for 'solution'), -iş creates a noun focusing on the act or manner of doing something (like geliş for 'arrival' or 'way of coming'). The final -i is the possessive suffix matching Onun (his/her).
Could I use gelmesi instead of gelişi here?
Yes, Onun gelmesi herkesi şaşırttı is perfectly natural and means almost exactly the same thing. gelişi functions more like a standard abstract noun ('his arrival'), whereas gelmesi uses the -me verbal noun suffix to mean 'his coming' or 'the fact that he came'.
How is the verb şaşırttı built?
It is a great example of how Turkish builds meaning through suffixes, specifically the causative. It starts with the root şaş- (to be astonished). Adding -ır gives şaşırmak (to be surprised). Adding the causative suffix -t changes the meaning to 'causing someone else to be surprised'—şaşırtmak (to surprise someone). Finally, -tı is the simple past tense suffix.
Why does herkes (everyone) have an -i at the end?
herkes is the direct object receiving the action of the verb şaşırttı (surprised). Because words like 'everyone', 'nobody', and 'someone' are treated as definite when used as specific objects, it requires the definite accusative case suffix -i.
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