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Advanced Converbs: Proportional Change with -dIkçA
C1
Precision
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1. Function
-dIkçA is used to express correlated change between two things. It shows how one process evolves in proportion to another, not as a single cause producing a single effect, but as a continuous relationship: as one thing moves, the other moves with it.
This structure allows a speaker to:
describe gradual, ongoing reactions rather than one-time events
express escalation and attenuation (something increasing or decreasing over time)
present outcomes as measured responses to a changing condition, rather than as fixed facts
This is not simple cause and effect. It is language for describing a relationship that keeps developing.
2. Forms
Positive Proportionality
X arttıkça, Y değişmektedir.
As X increases, Y changes accordingly.
Negative Proportionality (Scalar Decrease)
X azaldıkça, Y düşmektedir.
As X decreases, Y drops accordingly.
This is still a scalar relationship: both variables move together, gradually, along a continuum.
Strict Condition / Requirement (-mAdIkçA)
X sağlanmadıkça, Y mümkün görülmemektedir.
Unless X is met, Y is not considered possible.
-mAdIkçA works differently from the scalar examples above. It does not describe a gradual decrease. It states a binary requirement: as long as X remains unmet, Y does not happen at all. Nothing in between is described. This is closer in logic to "unless" than to "the less X, the less Y."
3. Morphology
Proportional meaning is often reinforced with words that describe direction and pace of change.
arttıkça / azaldıkça — mark directional change, signaling a gradual and measurable shift rather than a sudden one.
giderek — adds a sense of accumulation, emphasizing that the change is building up over time rather than happening all at once.
-dIkçA itself follows regular vowel harmony and consonant devoicing, giving eight surface forms:
Voiced stems: -dıkça / -dikçe / -dukça / -dükçe
Voiceless-final stems: -tıkça / -tikçe / -tukça / -tükçe
(Vowel choice follows the stem's last vowel; the d/t choice follows the same devoicing rule as -dI and -DIr.)
Together, these elements let a sentence show that the change is still ongoing, that its effect builds up rather than appearing instantly, and that the outcome depends on this ongoing movement, not on a single moment.
4. Structural Guide
A proportional sentence is usually built by linking a changing condition to its consequence through connecting words:
Trigger Variable, introduced by -dIkçA or -mAdIkçA
Reactive Process, describing how something responds or adjusts
Consequence, describing the resulting effect
Closing Statement, summarizing the overall assessment
Useful connectors:
buna bağlı olarak — marks a direct consequence
dolayısıyla — marks a logical inference from what came before
bu doğrultuda — signals alignment with an established trend
nitekim — (note: unlike the other three, nitekim is not a mid-sentence proportional linker. It starts a new sentence and confirms or reinforces the point just made. Don't use it to connect clauses within the same sentence.)
Logical flow: Trigger Variable → Reactive Process → Consequence → Closing Statement
5. Usage
Proportional sentences often close with verbs that frame the statement as an assessment rather than a flat assertion:
gözlemlenmektedir — based on ongoing observation
öngörülmektedir — a projection based on current indicators
değerlendirilmektedir — a judgment reached after weighing the evidence
saptanmıştır — a finding that has been established
tespit edilmiştir — a determination that has been recorded
A few further closing verbs, useful in careful or formal writing:
atıfta bulunulmaktadır — pointing to an outside source or frame
kayda geçmektedir — noting something for the record
temellendirilmektedir — grounding a claim in evidence
vurgulanmaktadır — placing emphasis without over-personalizing the claim
yansıtılmaktadır — presenting something as a reflection of the data
işaret edilmektedir — pointing toward a conclusion without asserting it outright
These verbs let a speaker calibrate exactly how confident or tentative their statement sounds.
Examples
A) Core Example
Küresel piyasalardaki belirsizlik arttıkça, yatırımcı davranışlarının daha kısa vadeli kazançlara yöneldiği değerlendirilmektedir.
— As uncertainty in global markets increases, it is assessed that investor behavior shifts toward short-term gains.
B) Extended Example
Merkez bankalarının para politikası araçlarının etkinliği azaldıkça, finansal istikrarın giderek makro-ihtiyati düzenlemelere bağımlı hale geldiği, bu doğrultuda geleneksel faiz koridoru stratejilerinin tek başına yeterli görülmediği vurgulanmaktadır.
— As the effectiveness of central banks' monetary policy instruments decreases, it is emphasized that financial stability increasingly becomes dependent on macroprudential regulations, and that traditional interest rate corridor strategies are no longer considered sufficient on their own.
C) Breaking the Sentence Down
Proportional Trigger — merkez bankalarının para politikası araçlarının etkinliği azaldıkça — sets up the declining variable.
Momentum Marker — giderek — signals that the effect is accumulating over time.
Primary Reaction — finansal istikrarın makro-ihtiyati düzenlemelere bağımlı hale geldiği — describes the resulting shift.
Directional Connector — bu doğrultuda — links this shift to what follows.
Secondary Consequence — geleneksel faiz koridoru stratejilerinin tek başına yeterli görülmediği — states a further limitation.
Closing Verb — vurgulanmaktadır — frames the whole statement as a considered emphasis, not a personal claim.
The sentence builds step by step, and the closing verb settles how the whole thing should be read.
Notes
dIkçA describes ongoing, parallel change: as one thing moves, so does the other.
-dIğı sürece describes a fixed condition: something holds true only as long as another condition remains in place. The logic is binary, either the condition holds or it doesn't.
-dIkçA, by contrast, works on a continuum, which makes it especially useful for describing trends, gradual shifts, and developing situations.
-mAdIkçA behaves more like -dIğı sürece than like scalar -dIkçA: it states a requirement, not a gradual decrease. It shows up often in rules, requirements, and formal warnings.
-dIkçA in everyday speech:
This structure is not only for formal or analytical writing. It's just as common in casual conversation:
Onunla konuştukça daha çok seviyorum. — The more I talk to him, the more I like him.
Zaman geçtikçe unutursun. — As time passes, you'll forget.
Giderek alışıyorum buraya. — I'm gradually getting used to it here. (giderek comes from git- + -ArAk, "going along," not from -dIkçA — but it reinforces proportional change the same way arttıkça/azaldıkça do.)
In practice, proportional structures don't just state what happened. They show how one thing is tracking another, step by step, as both keep changing.
Advanced Converbs: Proportional Change with -dIkçA – FAQ (C1)
Q: What does -dIkçA express at C1 level in Turkish?
A: -dIkçA expresses proportional change between two things rather than a simple, one-time cause and effect. It shows how one process evolves in parallel with another, gradually and continuously, rather than as a single fixed outcome.
Q: How is -dIkçA different from conditional -sA or -dığı sürece?
A: -dIkçA describes dynamic, measurable movement over time, a relationship that keeps developing. -sA and -dığı sürece frame conditions as binary thresholds: something either holds or it doesn't, with no in-between.
Q: Why is -dIkçA useful in analytical and academic writing, and not only in everyday speech?
A: Because it lets a speaker describe trends and gradual shifts precisely, rather than narrating a single event. This makes it useful whenever the point is to track how something is changing, whether in a news report, an academic argument, or an everyday conversation about how a feeling or situation is developing.