Questions & Answers about Bu itiraf herkesi şaşırttı.
Why do we use the causative verb şaşırttı here instead of şaşırdı?
Şaşırmak means "to be surprised" (e.g., Herkes şaşırdı - Everyone was surprised). Since the confession is doing the action of surprising someone else, we need the causative form şaşırtmak (to cause to be surprised / to surprise). The -t suffix makes the intransitive verb transitive, allowing it to take a direct object.
Why does herkes take the accusative -i suffix in this sentence?
The verb şaşırtmak (to surprise) takes a direct object because you have to surprise someone. Since herkes (everyone) is the specific group receiving the action of the verb, it requires the accusative case marker, becoming herkesi.
How would I use itiraf as a verb, like "He confessed"?
İtiraf is a noun of Arabic origin, meaning "confession." Like many loanwords in Turkish, it cannot take verb suffixes directly. To turn it into a verb, you must use the auxiliary verb etmek, creating itiraf etmek (to confess). So, "He confessed" would be İtiraf etti.
I sometimes see native speakers write herkez with a "z" at the end. Is that an acceptable alternative?
No, writing herkez is actually a very common spelling and pronunciation mistake made by native speakers! The correct standard spelling is always herkes with an s.
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