You will describe how intensely an action happens and what it resembles. These expressive modifiers are useful in storytelling; they do not automatically tell you when an action ends.
The idea
In familiar expressions, -asıya/-esiye conveys degree: doyasıya eğlenmek is to enjoy oneself to one’s heart’s content, and ölesiye korkmak is to be extremely afraid. Learn these expressions as combinations, not as a suffix to attach freely to every verb. For an “as if” comparison, the pattern practised here adds -casına/-cesine to an aorist base without a person ending: fısıldar → fısıldarcasına, yalvarır → yalvarırcasına. Thus -ircasına is not one fixed ending for every verb. The negative base also works: tanımaz → tanımazcasına. The main verb carries the sentence’s tense and person.
Examples
- Çocuklar bahçede doyasıya eğlendi.The children enjoyed themselves to their hearts’ content in the garden.
- İki takım kıyasıya yarıştı.The two teams competed fiercely.
- Yavru kedi sesten ölesiye korktu.The kitten was scared to death by the sound.
- Görevli fısıldarcasına konuştu.The attendant spoke almost in a whisper.
- Çocuk uçarcasına koştu.The child ran as if flying.
- Adam beni tanımazcasına yüzüme baktı.The man looked me in the face as though he did not recognise me.
- Yolcu yalvarırcasına yardım istedi.The passenger asked for help in an almost pleading manner.
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Watch out
Do not read ölesiye korktu as “was afraid until it died”: it commonly exaggerates fear. Likewise, uçarcasına koştu compares running to flying; it does not report flight. For a neutral endpoint, use an explicit time construction such as bitene kadar (until it ends). These expressive forms are not interchangeable with every “until” clause.
Try it yourself
Complete with the form of doymak: the children enjoyed themselves to their hearts’ content.
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doyasıya
doyasıya: the clue is unrestricted enjoyment, not eating until full. The expression extends satisfaction to having as much fun as desired.
Complete with the form of ölmek: the kitten was extremely frightened, not literally dead.
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ölesiye
ölesiye: the sentence describes the strength of the kitten’s fear. The verb korktu reports fear, while the modifier adds exaggeration rather than a death.
Join fısıldar and -casına: the attendant spoke almost in a whisper.
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fısıldarcasına
fısıldarcasına: keep the supplied aorist base fısıldar and attach the ending without a space. The result describes a whisper-like voice, while konuştu supplies the past tense.
Join tanımaz and -casına: the man looked at me as though he did not recognise me.
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tanımazcasına
tanımazcasına: the negative element belongs to the imagined recognition, not to the looking. The man did look, but his look suggested that he did not recognise the speaker.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete with the form of doymak: the children enjoyed themselves to their hearts’ content.
Complete with the form of ölmek: the kitten was extremely frightened, not literally dead.
Join fısıldar and -casına: the attendant spoke almost in a whisper.
Join tanımaz and -casına: the man looked at me as though he did not recognise me.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write one sentence with doyasıya and one with uçarcasına. Paraphrase the first with “to one’s heart’s content” and the second with “as if”. Explain which event actually happens.