23 replies to this topic

[aliakpinar]

Letters from Ezgi 1

1. Learn the words before reading.
mektup – letter
arkadaş – friend
öğrenci – student
tıp – medicine
okumak – to read, study
olmak – to be, become
aile – family
yaşamak – to live
şehir – city
kalabalık – crowded
semt – neighbourhood
yer – place
köpek – dog
sevmek – to like, love
gelecekte – in the future
gezmek – to walk around
beklemek – to wait

2. Read the letter.

Merhaba,

Ben senin yeni mektup arkadaşınım. Bu benim sana ilk mektubum.

Benim adım Ezgi. Ben yirmi yaşındayım. Ben bir öğrenciyim. Ben üniversitede tıp okuyorum. Çünkü ben bir doktor olmak istiyorum.

Ben benim ailem ile yaşıyorum. Biz İstanbul’da Çengelköy’de oturuyoruz. İstanbul çok güzel bir şehir. Ama çok kalabalık. Çengelköy Boğaz’da küçük bir semt. Boğaz harika bir yerdir.

Benim bir köpeğim var. Onun adı Sarı. Çünkü o sarı bir köpek. O beni çok seviyor, ben de onu çok seviyorum.

Ben gelecekte bir doktor olmak istiyorum. Ayrıca bir dünya turu yapmak istiyorum.

Ben kitap okumayı, film izlemeyi, Boğaz’da yürümeyi ve gezmeyi seviyorum.

Peki ya sen? Sen kaç yaşındasın? Sen ne iş yapıyorsun? Sen nerede yaşıyorsun?

Senin bir köpeğin var mı? Sen ne yapmak istiyorsun? Sen ne yapmayı seviyorsun? Senden bir mektup bekliyorum.

Sevgiler,

Ezgi

3. Answer the questions.
1. Ezgi kaç yaşında?
2. Ezgi ne okuyor?
3. Ezgi ne olmak istiyor?
4. Ezgi ne olmak istiyor?
5. Ezgi nerede yaşıyor?
6. İstanbul nasıl bir şehir?
7. Ezgi gelecekte ne yapmak istiyor?
8. Ezgi ne yapmayı seviyor?

4. Match the words.
1. mektup a. olmak
2. tıp b. okumak
3. doktor c. arkadaşı
4. dünya d. turu
5. kitap e. izlemek
6. film f. okumak

6. Read the letter again.

7. Write a letter to Ezgi.

[MrsD]

Merhaba Genç Arkadaşım,

Teşekkür mektubu ederim. Türkçe üç ayler öğrendim.

Benim adım Duha. Ben bir ev kadıyım, ama gelecekte bir yazar olmak istiyorum. Sevgi ve harp hakkında yakmak istiyorum.

Ben bir anneyim ama bir nine değilim. Kirk altı yasındayım. Altı coçuklarım var. Onların on dokuz, on yeni, on bir, sekiz, altı ve üç yasındalar. Büyük erkegim su dakita orduda bakiyor, küçük erkegim hala evde oynayor. Iki kızlarım ve iki erkeklerim ilkokulda okuyorlar.

Finlandiya’da oturuyorum. O yazda çok güzel bir dolgu. Çok göller ve ormanlar var. Burada kalabalık değil. Ama kisde burada çok soğuk ve karanlik

Ben kitap okumayı, öüküler yazmayı ve diller öğrenmeyi seviyorum. Ayrıca yüzmeyi ve ormanda yürümeyi seviorum.

Umarım, sen beni anlarsın.

Sevgiler,

D.

I really hope I didn't make a complete fool of myself...

Edited by MrsD, 03 August 2010 - 06:03 PM.

[sunny]

Well done Mrs D. I understood most of it. Your Turkish is probably better than most member's so no need to worry.

How do you find time to study with all those children?

[saffron]

Hi Mrsd,
No, never you made a fool of yourself..naturally there are some mistakes, but this is the way to improve your knowledge, isn't it..
In order not to make a complex and confusing explanation, I will write down the points to discuss one by one, in different posts, respectively..So anybody who would ask a question can refer to the relevant post.
Let me start with 'teşekkür mektubu ederim'.
Ederim is the conjugated form of the verb 'etmek'. Sometimes it corresponds to 'make' and 'do' in English, but not always. So the best thing to do is to learn the instances when the verb 'etmek' is used. Teşekkür etmek is one of them. Here the action of thanking -teşekkür- is performed. In other words, what you perform is thanking, but not letter writing. Teşekkür mektubu is a compound word: a letter of thanks'. So you cannot peform a letter of thanks, but you can peform an action of thanking. In Turkish: teşekkür etmek is right, mektup yazmak is right, teşekkür mektubu yazmak is right, but 'mektup etmek' : to perform a letter' is obviously, meaningless.

[Lucid]

wow...go Mrs d !! i understood most of it and i wouldnt have noticed the mistakes as i make them too!
i am suprised how much i can read turkish and understand the jist of it but rarely do.....
im inspired now!! brave of you to type on here
in this heat i struggle with my English! and i have no kids to bother or interupt me1
bravo!

[saffron]

Now, 'Türkçeyi üç aylar öğrendim'
If you mean you started studying Turkish three months ago, so now you are studying Turkish for only three months , the right form: 'Üç aydır Türkçe öğreniyorum/çalışıyorum'
If you mean you have studied for only three months totally, but you LEARNT Turkish : Türkçeyi üç ayda öğrendim.
Or, If you have studied Turkish for only three months : Sadece -only- üç ay Türkçe çalıştım.

As you notice, the verbs çalışmak-to study- and öğrenmek - to learn- can be used in the first example. Studying on some certain discipline is a learning process, in the mentality of the Turkish language,you can use öğrenmek as well.

In the first example the learning process is going on. When we do something for some period and the action is still in progress, we add 'dır' to the word of time : Ay - aydır, hafta - haftadır, gün gündür:
Bu şenlik üç haftadır devam ediyor: This festival is going on for three weeks now.

On the other hand, if what you have done -learning, studying etc. is an action of the past, no need to add 'dır':
Üç ay Türkçe çalıştım: I studied Turkish for three months.
If you have learnt Turkish by studying three months, so you need to use the verb 'öğrenmek':
Türkçeyi üç ayda öğrendim : I learnt Turkish IN three months.
Shortly : Üç aydır çalışıyorum: I'm studying/ have been studying for three months
Üç ay çalıştım: I studied for three months
Üç ayda öğrendim: I've learnt in three months.

A final point: no need to add a plural suffix 'ler' to the word 'ay'. (and, if you add, when needed, the suffix must be 'lar' but not 'ler').

[MrsD]

Thank you for your advice, saffron. It seems that I'm giving a big headache to you.

I still didn't understand what is the general way to thank for something. Which case is used for the noun that represents the thing we thank for? Is it the accusative?

I hope there are a couple of sentences correct...

Lucid and Sunny, the way to study while the children are around is just to ignore them... No, seriously, after getting completely tired of my life I made a very selfish decision that no matter what happens, three things have to exist in every day of my life. They are reading, writing and studying.

What is difficult is that I have no one to guide me into this language. It's just something that I do on my own. But when I write to "Ezgi" again after three months, I hope there will be some progress.

Edited by MrsD, 04 August 2010 - 09:09 PM.

[sunny]

Good Luck.

[saffron]

You're welcome, MrsD..
Let me write down the answer to your question under another topic title. Those who have examined the letter above would be interested in the mistakes to be corrected, which I will discuss on one-by-one, as I said.
Today I will focus on a few more points:
1- singular or plural?
If you say the quantity of something in numbers, no need to add a plural suffix:
Üç ay : three months
Dört çocuk : four children
İki torun : two grandchildren
So, 'I have six chidren' is 'altı çocuğum var.
The same rule is applicable when you mention the quantity with other words like much, many, too may, etc..
There are too many honey bees around: Etrafta çok fazla bal arısı var (arı: bee, bal arısı : honey bee)
Today very many people face with the danger of hunger: Günümüzde pek çok insan açlık tehikesi ile karşı karşıya
Too much wine gives me headache : Fazla şarap başımı ağrıtıyor

2- Man or male?
The word 'erkek' , when used as a noun, means man. When adjective, male.
Erkek çocuk : a male child= a son, or boy.
I have two sons: İki erkek çocuğum var. Alternatively: İki oğlum var. When used alone the word is 'oğul'. By adding the possesive suffix, 'u' is removed: oğlum, oğlun, etc.
It is likely that the words oğul and oğlan may be confused. Oğlan is, simply, boy.
-How many children do you have?
-Three, two boys and a girl: Üç, iki oğlan bir kız.
For boy, 'oğlan çocuğu' can also be used.
Use of 'erkek' for son can lead to a serious misunderstanding.
Shortly, you can say: İki kızım ve iki oğlum ilkokulda okuyorlar (or, alternatively: ilkokula gidiyorlar)
Likewise, not 'büyük erkeğim' but 'büyük oğlum'.

I will continue..

[saffron]

Nine means grandma, but used mostly in the rural culture. In urban Turkish, 'büyükanne= grandmother' is used. Alternatively, babaanne -mother of the father, and anneanne -mother of the mother can be used.

Burada kalabalık değil: Burası kalabalık değil

Ama kisde burada çok soğuk ve karanlik : Kışın burası çok soğuk ve karanlık

[saffron]

Now as a final note, let me write the spelling or typing mistakes:

ev kadıyım - evkadınıyım
yakmak istiyorum - yazmak istiyorum
su dakita orduda bakiyor - ?
evde oynayor - evde oynuyor
O yazda çok güzel bir dolgu - ?
öüküler - Öyküler
seviorum - seviyorum

[MrsD]

Thank you, saffron. It seems that if I ever had any illusions about myself, this language is going to tear them down. But I will not give up.

[saffron]

You're very welcome...Turkish is too detailed, for learners of grammar..This is partly because meaning of the words are strictly dependent on suffixes..yes, please try and dont give up!

[Psychodahlia]

Merhaba,

Benim Gwen ve yirmi dort yasindayim. Turk anlamak istedim. Okumak seviyorum.

I hope I got that right.

[Abi]

Welcome to out forum Gwen, If you could go the the Meet and Greet section it would be nice to know a bit more about you

Are you trying to say you want to learn Turkish?

[Psychodahlia]

Hi Abi,
I just posted in that part of the forum.

I am trying to learn Turkish. It's coming along slowly and I was hoping to use this board for practice. I have a book with exercises; you translate from Turkish to English and from English to Turkish.

What I was trying to say above is 'Hello, I'm Gwen and I'm 24 years old. I want to understand Turkish. I like to read.' I don't know how to make all the symbols though.

[saffron]

Hi Gwen,
Instead of I'm Gwen, you are supposed to say my name is Gwen, which is , as I guess you know, 'benim adım Gwen'.
Gramatically, benim adım Gwen'dir is another right form. Here the suffix 'dir' is the conjugation of the verb, corresponding to 'is'. However, it is often omited, this is a point that you need to read or hear more, just to feel when people do not omit 'dir'. Sometimes to sound formal, sometimes for special emphasis.
Why are you supposed to say benim adım Gwen? This is a way of self-introduction..
yirmi dort yasindayim: correct, thouh spelling is wrong because of the keyboard..
Turk anlamak istedim: Türkçe anlamak istedim. Or, Türkçeyi anlamak istedim. There is a slight difference between them. The latter is the proper one, though the first one is not wrong. In this sentence you have used past tense.In Turkish this conjugation sometimes corresponds to present perfect tense of English, depending on the situation or context. So you mean either 'I wanted to..' or, I have wanted to..'
Okumak seviyorum: right form : okumayı seviyorum.
Good luck Gwen!

[Psychodahlia]

Hi Saffron,
Thanks for the tips. Actually, I've only been studying on my own for a few months and the book I'm using hasn't gotten to introductions yet. I thought 'adim' meant 'man'.

Can you explain okumayi seviyorum please? Is okumak seviyorum also past tense?

Thank you.

Edited by Psychodahlia, 28 November 2010 - 07:14 AM.

[saffron]

You're welcome Gwen..
Okumayı seviyorum means I love/like reading..
Let's take a closer look at the suffix part of 'seviyorum'. The verb is 'sevmek'. The root is 'sev'.
Sev+ iyorum makes it I love/like. Here we have a very important point to remember: 'Severim' corresponds to the simple present of English. So there is a general tendency to think that , if what we mean is I love, like, come, go, ect. etc, we have to add no suffix but '-erim' (or other endings for the second, third, etc. persons).Or, if what we mean is an action expressed with an 'ing' in English, we must only add -îyorum, etc. This is not true. There is no perfect correspondance between the -ing of English and -yorum, yorsun, yor, etc. of Turkish. In this example, seviyorum, despite all the quick efforts to match it with the present continous of English, means I love/like..
The difference between seviyorum and severim is, in this context, the emphasis. The speaker who says 'seviyorum', instead of 'severim' simply wants to express his feelings.

[Reyhan]

I thought 'adim' meant 'man'.

You're thinking of "adam" or you can use "erkek" for man/men. I think "adım" refers to your name.(?)