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Do you have a fork please?
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| 1. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:10 pm |
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Suppose you're in a restaurant and you want to ask for a fork, because there isn't one next to your plate. What do you ask?
* Bana bir çatal var mı?
* Bana çatalınız var mı?
* Sizde bana bir çatal var mı?
The middle one feels like asking for someone else's fork..
The last one sounds a bit as if the waiter is gonna take one out of his pocket, so I'm not really sure about that one either.
And could you also ask that kind of question with "benim için" instead of "bana"?
What would you suggest?
Sağol! 
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| 2. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:18 pm |
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"Bir çatalı istiyorum lütfen"
Or is that too obvious???
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| 3. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:21 pm |
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I'm quite sure that is definitely not the way to ask for something. To me that sounds rude.
You don't say "I want a fork", do you?? When in a restaurant, you'd rather ask "do you HAVE a fork for me please?". So according to me it has to be with "var".
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| 4. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:24 pm |
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Quoting bod: "Bir çatalı istiyorum lütfen"
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Small note: there is no state when you use "bir". So it has to be çatal in your sentence.
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| 5. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:33 pm |
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Quoting Elisa: Quoting bod: "Bir çatalı istiyorum lütfen"
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Small note: there is no state when you use "bir". So it has to be çatal in your sentence. |
But istemek in the nominal state means "to require" - hence why I used the accusative state to make it clear that is is a desire and not a necessity.......perhaps I should have dropped the "bir"
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| 6. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:36 pm |
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Quoting Elisa: You don't say "I want a fork", do you?? When in a restaurant, you'd rather ask "do you HAVE a fork for me please?". So according to me it has to be with "var". |
It very much depends on the situation......
If you have caught the waiter's eye and he has come over to you then saying "I want a fork please" is perfectably acceptable. "May I have a fork please" is a little more polite but both would be suitable.
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| 7. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:37 pm |
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* Bana bir çatal var mı? incorrect
* Bana çatalınız var mı? incorrect
'Bana' means 'to me'. So you can't sonstruct a sentence with "fork" and "to me". It is like asking "Have you a fork to me?".
* Sizde bana bir çatal var mı? incorrect
Again 'bana' causes problem in this sentence. Instead 'bana' if we had used 'benim için' it would be a slight improvment but still incorrect since this time the meaning is unsuitable.
Benim için bir çatal var mı?
Is there a fork for me?
This sounds like, the person is supposed to keep forks that are left for you to take later. This sentence would be suitable in a hotel to ask the reception if you have a message:
Benim için mesaj var mı?
Are there messages for me?
"Benim için çatalınız var mı?"
"Do you have a fork for me?" Again the meaning is incorrect. This sentence implies that the person has many different sizes of forks.
Sizde benim için bir çatal var mı?
Do you have a fork for me.
Again the same meaning as above.
Bir çatalı istiyorum lütfen.
This sentence is almost correct. İstemek here takes çatal without the accusative. "bir çatal" is "a fork" (any fork)and we can't use accusative where the object is defined. As you might have realised I normally translate accusative with "the". The correct sentence would be:
"Bir çatal istiyorum lütfen"
This is a very polite and correct way of asking for a fork in a restourant. In general "istiyorum lütfen" is one of the main ways to ask for something politely to a person who is supposed to give it to you.
My version would be as follows:
"Bir çatal alabilir miyim lütfen?"
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| 8. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:43 pm |
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Quoting erdinc: Bir çatalı istiyorum lütfen.
This sentence is almost correct. İstemek here takes çatal without the accusative. The correct sentence would be:
"Bir çatal istiyorum lütfen" |
I did think that istemek was without the accusative case......but the dictionary entry shows it as /ı/
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| 9. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:49 pm |
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Quoting bod: Quoting erdinc: Bir çatalı istiyorum lütfen.
This sentence is almost correct. İstemek here takes çatal without the accusative. The correct sentence would be:
"Bir çatal istiyorum lütfen" |
I did think that istemek was without the accusative case......but the dictionary entry shows it as /ı/ |
Yes but "bir çatal" is undefined, so there is no need to check what the dictionary says.
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| 10. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:49 pm |
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Thanks, it's clear to me now!
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| 11. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:50 pm |
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Accusative is grammatically correct but has a different meaining.
"çatalı istiyorum": I want the fork.
"Bu çatalı istiyorum": I want this fork.
"Şu çatalı istiyorum": I want that fork.
"Gümüş çatalı istiyorum": I want the silver fork.
Accusative is directed to an object. But in our case there is no certain object.
Çatal istiyorum. I want a fork
(a fork means any fork, not a certain fork)
1. Çatal istiyorum lütfen.
2. Bir çatal istiyorum lütfen.
3. Bir çatal lütfen.
4. Bir çatal alabilir miyim lütfen.
These four are all correct.
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| 12. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 03:51 pm |
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Quoting erdinc: My version would be as follows:
"Bir çatal alabilir miyim lütfen?" |
Doesn't that translate as "can I take a fork please" ???
Or is there some special meaning inferred from the use of the aorist tense?
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| 13. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 04:15 pm |
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Yes, "Bir çatal alabilir miyim lütfen?" would translate as "Could I get a fork please?". This is an idiom. When we say "can I get" we actually mean "bring me" but for being polite we use that idiom.
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| 14. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 04:28 pm |
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Quoting erdinc: Yes, "Bir çatal alabilir miyim lütfen?" would translate as "Could I get a fork please?". This is an idiom. When we say "can I get" we actually mean "bring me" but for being polite we use that idiom. |
Would it be wrong to use olmak (to have) in this case......
Bir çatal olabilir miyim lütfen?
or would that imply that you want a fork that you can take away with you when you have finished your meal?
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| 15. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 04:39 pm |
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Sorry Bod, the main translation for olmak is "to be". The sentence "Bir çatal olabilir miyim lütfen?" would translate as:
-Can I be a fork please?.
-Sorry sir. This is impossible.
(-Ãœzgünüm efendim. Bu imkansız.)
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| 16. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 05:20 pm |
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Quoting erdinc: Sorry Bod, the main translation for olmak is "to be". The sentence "Bir çatal olabilir miyim lütfen?" would translate as:
-Can I be a fork please?.
-Sorry sir. This is impossible.
(-Ãœzgünüm efendim. Bu imkansız.)
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Ah yes.....
Perhaps not the best thing to ask over a meal 
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| 17. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 07:02 pm |
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Yes, in restaurants "almak" is the most used one for orders and requests.
Bi hamburger menü aliym (alayım)
Let me get an hamburger menu.
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| 18. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 07:53 pm |
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Quoting mltm: Yes, in restaurants "almak" is the most used one for orders and requests.
Bi hamburger menü aliym (alayım)
Let me get an hamburger menu. |
Is this just in restaurants???
What if I were in a bar and wanted to order six beers - what would I say???
altı bira istiyorum lütfen
altı bira alayım
altı bira alabilir miyim lütfen?
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| 19. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 08:10 pm |
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Quoting bod:
Is this just in restaurants???
What if I were in a bar and wanted to order six beers - what would I say???
altı bira istiyorum lütfen
altı bira alayım
altı bira alabilir miyim lütfen? |
Yes, you can  In bars, discos, clubs; wherever there's food and drink service.
But BTW if you want six beers, then you aren't going to drink all of them yourself, so in this case you should say "6 bira istiyoruz", "Biz 6 bira alalım", "6 bira alabilir miyiz"
Or "6 bira lütfen"
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| 20. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 08:15 pm |
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Quoting mltm: But BTW if you want six beers, then you aren't going to drink all of them yourself, so in this case you should say "6 bira istiyoruz", "Biz 6 bira alalım", "6 bira alabilir miyiz"
Or "6 bira lütfen" |
So I would use the plural even if I were on my own (at a bar for example) buying beer for people out of sight of the person serving me???
Besides - I have no difficulty drinking 6 beers on my own 
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| 21. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 08:24 pm |
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Ah no! I was picturing a waiter coming to your table.
Then, you are right to use singular.
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| 22. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 08:27 pm |
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Quoting mltm: Ah no! I was picturing a waiter coming to your table.
Then, you are right to use singular. |
Yes - if the waiter came to the table and I was ordering on behalf of people sat at that table I would the plural.......but how many clubs do you know where there is a table - let alone a waiter
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| 23. |
06 Mar 2006 Mon 08:32 pm |
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Quoting bod: but how many clubs do you know where there is a table - let alone a waiter |
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| 24. |
10 Mar 2006 Fri 12:53 am |
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Quoting mltm: Quoting bod: but how many clubs do you know where there is a table - let alone a waiter |
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Well - OK.......
A sticky table - and a bouncer to throw your drink away rather than serving you another!!!
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| 25. |
28 May 2006 Sun 12:32 am |
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Çatal ver.
Çatalı versene.
Çatal ver lan.
this is the inpolite versions of
can i have a fork please.
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