I was flicking through a book, enjoying translating sentences Turkish > English, verbally on sight.  It was very relaxing, till suddenly I came to this sentence

>> Kalemi vermesin, kitabi versinler. <<

My translation >>   [Let him not give pen, let them give book]   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????

If I have translated it correctly, then it is a ´horrible´ example ... unless I am a damned fool [quite possible]

I have copied it exactly as it appears >>>> I was suddenly stuck for a rational translation.  Perhaps I can guess what is being implied >>> but I am not happy with it.

Please could someone put me out of my misery !!

tazx1

I think it is:

Let them not give the pen, but the book.

It could be, "kalemi vermesinler, kitabý versinler", but it doesn´t sound nice to repeat the "ler" in both words.

Don´t worrymy friend. even native speakers would have a baby trying to translate a sentence like that.

It is a strange and unnatural sentence in the sense that the first portion ´kalemi vermsin´ refers to another person in the singular, and the following part ´kitabi versinler´ refers to persons in the plural.

If this is an example from a grammar book, I would suggest you burn it for the benefit of mankind.

If there are native speakers around you saying such things, surely slap them...

It is not ungrammatic but is certainly off to the ear.

I wouldn´t worry about translating this sentence that much.

Thank you CYNiCMYSTIC

You have pointed your finger EXCACTLY at the point which went against my intuitive grain.

You are also correct in guessing that it is a ´horrible´ book ... not in its entirety, but apart from being totally user unfriendly ... where is fails [quite often too] ... it causes such a crisis of confidence that if were not for ´experts´ like you a learner would lose confidence, completely.

DILLIDUDUK, you have ´galiantly´ tried to sort it out ... it would not come to a learner like me ´naturally´.

Thank you both.  My confidence is restored ... in part at least.

I can´t remember how many times I have made this remark on the Forum>  but here it is again:-

TITLE OF THIS BOOK IS ´COLLOQUIAL TURKISH´ BY YUSUF MARDIN.  From much experience I would wish this book on my worst enemy.  It may be fantastic IF YOU HAVE RECOURSE TO A LIVING BREATHING PRIVATE TUTOR ... else avoid it like Plague.  Once I have extracted my money´s worth ... I am going to follow CYNICMYSTIC´S advice.

Over and out.

Tazx1