Korktuumuz

Korktuğumuz is a Turkish participial form used to create relative clauses that describe things or situations “that we feared.” It is built from the verb korkmak (to fear) in the past tense (korktu-) plus the participial suffix -ğumuz, which marks the first-person plural subject (we). The result, korktuğumuz, literally means “that we feared” and typically precedes a noun to form a noun phrase such as korktuğumuz şeyler (the things we feared) or korktuğumuz durumlar (the situations we feared).

Usage and function

Korktuğumuz functions as a modifier attached to a following noun. It conveys a past fear relating to the speaker and, depending on context, to a group including the speaker. It can be used in both singular and plural forms (korktuğumuz şey, korktuğumuz şeyler; korktuğumuz durum, korktuğumuz durumlar). The construction is common in both spoken and written Turkish and is a standard way to specify which things were feared.

Examples

- Çocukken korktuğumuz çok şey vardı. (There were many things we were afraid of as children.)

- Korktuğumuz durumlar kararlarımızı etkiledi. (The situations we feared affected our decisions.)

- Korktuğumuz insanlar konusunda dikkatli olduk. (We were careful about the people we feared.)

Related forms

The pattern extends to other persons by changing the possessive suffix: korktuğunuz (that you feared), korktuğumuz (that we feared), korktuğu (that he/she/they feared), etc. This family of relative participles is a common feature of Turkish grammar, used to form precise noun phrases and subordinate clauses.

See also

Korku, korkmak, Turkish relative clauses, participles.

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