Theme 4: Traditions

Unit Vocabulary

Culture & Change

Word	Turkish	Pronunciation	Example
accessible (adj)	erişilebilir	/əkˈses.ə.bəl/	Traditional recipes are now accessible to everyone thanks to the internet.
inaccessible (adj)	erişilemez	/ˌɪn.ækˈses.ə.bəl/	Some mountain villages are still inaccessible during winter.
attract (v)	çekmek, cezbetmek	/əˈtrækt/	Traditional festivals attract thousands of tourists every year.
critical thinking (n)	eleştirel düşünme	/ˈkrɪt.ɪ.kəl ˈθɪŋ.kɪŋ/	Critical thinking helps us understand which traditions are still valuable.
disappear (v)	yok olmak, kaybolmak	/ˌdɪs.əˈpɪər/	Many old traditions are starting to disappear.
mass media (n)	kitle iletişim araçları	/mæs ˈmiː.di.ə/	Mass media plays a big role in spreading cultural traditions today.
mass production (n)	seri üretim	/mæs prəˈdʌk.ʃən/	Mass production has made traditional handcrafts less popular.
provide (v)	sağlamak, sunmak	/prəˈvaɪd/	Festivals provide an opportunity to experience different cultures.
spread (v)	yaymak, yayılmak	/spred/	Traditions can spread from one generation to another through storytelling.

Idioms About Traditions

Idiom	Turkish	Example
better late than never	geç olsun güç olmasın	He finally learned traditional cooking at 50. Better late than never!
for old times' sake	eski günlerin hatırına	Let's visit our old school for old times' sake.
good old times	eski güzel günler	My grandfather always talks about the good old times in the village.
here today, gone tomorrow	bugün var yarın yok	Fashion trends are here today, gone tomorrow, but traditions last forever.
like mother used to make	annemin yaptığı gibi	This homemade soup tastes like mother used to make.
not my cup of tea	benim tarzım/tercihim değil	Shadow puppetry is not my cup of tea, but I respect the art form.

Everyday Life

Word	Turkish	Pronunciation	Example
accompany (v)	eşlik etmek	/əˈkʌm.pə.ni/	Traditional music used to accompany all village celebrations.
competitor (n)	rakip, yarışmacı	/kəmˈpet.ɪ.tər/	The oil wrestling competitors fight vigorously for the golden belt.
oven (n)	fırın	/ˈʌv.ən/	My grandmother used to bake bread in a traditional stone oven.
pot (n)	tencere, çömlek	/pɒt/	People used to cook food in clay pots over a wood fire.
steep (adj)	dik, sarp	/stiːp/	The old village is on a steep hill overlooking the valley.
vigorously (adv)	güçlü bir şekilde	/ˈvɪɡ.ər.əs.li/	The wrestlers fought vigorously in the traditional Kirkpinar festival.

“Used to” — Past Habits & States

Subject + used to + verb (base form)

Subject	Used to	Example
I / He / She / It / We / You / They	used to + V1	People used to watch shadow plays.

Examples

We used to live in a small town when I was young.

Ben küçükken küçük bir kasabada yaşardık.

I used to play with my dolls when I was a kid.

Çocukken bebeklerimle oynardım.

My grandmother used to bake bread in a traditional oven.

Büyükannem geleneksel fırında ekmek pişirirdi.

Subject + didn't use to + verb (base form)

Examples

People didn't use to have personal computers.

İnsanların kişisel bilgisayarları yoktu.

There didn't use to be any traffic jams in this city 50 years ago.

50 yıl önce bu şehirde hiç trafik sıkışıklığı yoktu.

I didn't use to like spicy food, but now I love it.

Acılı yemekleri sevmezdim ama şimdi bayılıyorum.

Did + subject + use to + verb?

Q: Did people use to celebrate New Year differently?

A: Yes, they did. They used to light bonfires.

Q: What did you use to do in your spare time as a child?

A: I used to play in the streets with my friends.

Usage Guide

Past habits that no longer happen.

Past states that are no longer true.

Comparing past and present lifestyles.

NOT for actions that happened only once use Past Simple.

NOT for current habits use Present Simple.

Past vs Present — Comparing Traditions

People used to cook in clay pots, but now they use modern kitchenware.

Children used to play outside, but now they play video games.

People used to dispel bad spirits with fire, but now they use fireworks for celebrations.