Turkish Language - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (SSS)

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FAQ (A) - Have you published a book?

Yes we have published in EBook Formats (MOBI, EPUB, PDF, RTF, LRF [Older Sony], and PDB [Palm])
It is a Treatise on Turkish and its Grammar consisting of 44 chapters. You can see a detailed description and samples of the book in the links.
It is called "The Turkish Language Explained for English Speakers" and is priced at US$9.99

The US and WORLDWIDE Amazon Kindle Version (MOBI format) can be purchased (US $9.99) and downloaded from Amazon Kindle Store US

The UK Amazon Kindle Version (MOBI format) can be purchased (about GB £6.50) and downloaded from Amazon Kindle Store UK

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You can also "try before you buy" by downloading you free sample EPUb from here

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FAQ (01) - How many Vowels are there in Turkish?

There are eight vowels in Turkish - A E I İ O Ö U Ü

They are usually divided into the A-Undotted Group - AIOU - and the E-Dotted Group - EİÖÜ - for Vowel Harmony purposes

FAQ (02) - Why is a buffer letter sometimes -y- and at other times -n- is used?

Buffer letter -y- for the Object Condition, -yi as in kediyi - the cat and Motion Towards Condition, -ye as in kediye - to the cat when the word is not already extended by a suffix. Thus buffer -y- is only used suffixed to a bare noun stem in the first suffix position.
It becomes -n- when it is the second suffix which is added to the word, kedisini - his cat and kedisine - to his cat. Thus buffer Letter -n- is only used when the Objective or Motion Towards suffixes are in second suffix position, this is to alert the listener that a suffix is already preceding.
The Rule is: The buffer letter -n- is used on nouns which have already been extended by the addition of a suffix.

FAQ (03) - Why are some words repeated in Turkish for no apparent reason?

For instance - yavaş - means - slow. As an adjective is describes a noun - "A slow car".
But repeated - yavaş yavaş - means - slowly.
As an adverb this describes a manner of doing something. "He drove the car slowly". There is a valid reason as adjectives when repeated, become adverbs in Turkish. This is a normal part of Turkish Grammar.

FAQ (04) - What are the main differences in Turkish and English pronunciation

The letter - C - changes in Turkish - it is pronounced as an English - J
So the English name - John is spelt Con in Turkish and the Turkish word cam - (glass material) is pronounced jam in English. The rule is see a "C" and say a "J" - Listen to: cep, cacık, cimri

Letter C is pronounced as English "J".   See - cam - and say - jam - "glass (the material)"

Letter Ş is pronounced as English "SH".   See - şef - and say - shef - "chief"

Letter Ç is pronounced as English "CH".   See - çek - and say - chek - "pull"

FAQ (05) - Turkish has a funny letter - Ğ - with a hat on - What does it do?

This is the Turkish so-called "soft g" - (yumaşak g)
This letter is not pronounced at all, it merely lengthens the preceding vowel. It is very like the silent "gh" in the English words - light, freight, ought.. etc. The rule is see a - ğ - with a hat on then keep it silent.
Listen to: ağa, dağ, iğne

FAQ (06) - Why does - gitmek - to go - change its letter -t to a -d in - gidiyor?

Verb Root Spelling Exceptions:
Only four verbs change their root spelling from -t to -d when adding a vowel :
gitmek - to go - becomes - gidiyorum - I am going etc.
ditmek - to shred - this verb is often used in recipes - becomes - didiyor - he shreds
tatmak - to taste (of) - becomes - tadıyor - it tastes (of..)
etmek - to do/perform - becomes - ediyorum - I am doing etc.
This verb - etmek - includes all verbs containing - etmek - such as - kaybetmek - to lose - and - affetmek - to pardon, to excuse which soften the -etmek part of the verb - kaybediyorum - I am losing/I lose and affediyorum - I am pardoning/I pardon
All other verbs retain their original spelling, for instance:
bitmek - to end - bitiyor - it is finishing - NOT bidiyor
batmak - to sink - batıyor - it is sinking - NOT badıyor

FAQ (07) - When do I use - sağ olun - instead of - teşekkür ederim - for saying - thank you?

sağ olun - be healthy, be strong - is used as - thank you - for a service which was not necessarily needed to be performed. or for which someone has gone out of his way to help you, while - teşekkür ederim - thank you ([Lit: a thanking perform I - [from Arabic] is used in normal circumstances and receiving. The rule is - If in doubt then use - teşekkür ederim.
See Saying "thank you"

FAQ (08) - What happened to the letter -e- in demek - to say as it becomes - diyorum - I say?

We know that the present tense sign is -iyor, we also know that if a verb stem ends in a vowel it loses this vowel (Turkish abhors two vowels together as there are no native diphthongs) when the present tense sign is added.

So - demek - must also lose this final vowel leaving a bare verb stem as the letter d- only - hence demek becomes d-iyorum, d-iyorsun. The same applies to all other two letter verb stems - yemek - becomes yiyorum.

The Future Tense also changes demek - diyeceğim, yemek - yiyeceksin (here we are adding -ecek to the verb root of ye-mek, thus producing ye-ecek and to keep the vowels apart we use buffer letter -y- producing ye-y-ecek which has historically abraded to become yiyecek).

The Subject Participle demek becomes diyen, diyenler - who says, yemek becomes yiyen, yiyenler - who eats.

However there are even exceptions to this group as we say and write: deyince - on saying, deyip - also saying and yeyince - on eating and yeyip - also eating.
See Future Tense

FAQ (09) - I do not understand the Infinitive - please explain about it.

The Infinitive is the name of a verb - such as - swim (verb) - its name is "to swim" - but in English we often substitute a verbal noun - (the) swimming.
He is going for a swim
We are going swimming
She went to swim in the sea
In all these cases anything with "swim" in it is a noun. But note there are different tenses supplied by the verb in the sentence.
If you have a noun in Turkish then you can suffix it with -de -den etc. and also make it an object with the objective suffix -i. You can also add the possessive suffixes -im -in -i.. etc - my, your his, etc.
My swimming is good
Mother is taking Mehmet for a swim
I want you to swim every day - Can you see these are all nouns....?

The -k of -mek/-mak is dropped to make the Verbal Noun - yüzme - swim, swimming, to swim, Now let us put a possessive on it:
yüzmem my swimming
yüzmen- your swimming
yüzmesi - his swimming
yüzmeniz- your swimming - (plural)
yüzmeleri - their swimming

Now add some suffixes:
yüzmemden - from my swimming my swimming
yüzmende - in your swimming
yüzmesini - his swimming - (suffixed as an object)

Yüzmem iyidir - My swimming is good
Geçen yıl yüzmem iyiydi - My swimming was good last year. - Past tense
Yarın yüzmeleri iyi olacak - Tomorrow, their swimming will be good - Future Tense
Ali'nin yüzmesi, Mehmet'in yüzmesinden daha iyidir. - Ali's swimming is better than Mehmet's swimming..

You can of course use extended and negatives to modify the meaning..
Ahmet'in gelmemesini istedim - I wanted Ahmet NOT to come [lit: Ahmet's-his-not-coming wanted-I]
gelme-me-sİ-nİ, is in the Accusative Case as the negative verbal noun is the object of - "I wanted.."
Ahmet'in gelebilmesini istedim - I wanted Ahmet to be able to come....
Ahmet'in gelebilmesini istemedim - I did not want Ahmet to be able to come....
Ahmet'in gelmeyebilmesini istemedim - I did not want Ahmet NOT to be able to come....

See the Infinitive

FAQ (10) - Please list the common question words - what, why, when etc...

where..? - nerede..?
where to..? - nereye..?
where from..? - nereden..?
how..? - nasıl..?
how much..? - ne kadar..?
when..? - ne zaman..?
what..? - ne..?
why..? - neden..? - or - if you are indignant/angry/disbelieving - niye…?
what for..? - niçin..?
who..? - kim..?
which..? - hangisi..?

FAQ (11) - I am having difficulty recognizing the Object Participle -dik Please explain.

The -dik, -duk, -dık, -dük Participle

This Participle is subject to both Vowel Harmony and Consonant Mutation Rules.
So you can find -tik, -tuk, -tık, -tük.
If a further suffix with a vowel is added the the final -k is also subject to Consonant Mutation: -diği, -duğu, -dığı, -düğü or -tiği, -tuğu, -tığı, -tüğü

geldiğim zaman - When I came.., When I come.. - (gel + -diğ + -im)
uçtuğun halde - Although you fly.., Although you flew.. - (uç + -tuğ + -un)
yürüdüğü yol - The road that he walks.., The road that he walked.. - (yürü + -düğ + -ü)
bakmadığımız zaman - When we didn't/don't look.., - (bak + -ma + -dığ + -ımız)
içtiğiniz için - because you (plural polite) drink/drank.. - (iç + -tiğ + -iniz)
öpüştükleri zaman - When they kiss/kissed - (öpüş + -tük + -leri)

The -dik Participle is used both in the Present or Past tenses according to the sentence main verb context. Examples of Tense influenced by the Main Verb
Ali'nin geldiği zaman, çarşıya gidiyoruz - When Ali comes we are going to the shops.
Ali'nin geldiği zaman, çarşıya gittik - When Ali came we went to the shops.
Thus it becomes that both ideas - "Ali" and his "coming" both become a compound participle (verbal adjective) to describe - zaman (time). This is more suitable to the Turkish point of view than the relative when.. construction which English uses.

See Object Participles

FAQ (11A) - Please tell me more about the -dik participle.

Past Participle with -dik, -dık, -dük, -duk

Some of the following material is an extract from "Colloquial Turkish" by Yusuf Mardin which was published in 1976 by RKP. It has been used here as an illustration for our Turkish learners

Position in sentences

We must realize that a participle is actually and adjective made from a verb form. As an adjective in Turkish it must precede the noun which it qualifies. This then is how to recognize that it is a an adjective - by its position in the sentence. It looks like a verb, but it is not a verb. The verb always comes last in a sentence, and hence is easy to recognize as a verb. If it is not last in the sentence then generally speaking it will be an adjective (or sometimes an objective pronoun).

Formation: - Participle + Possessive Suffix - Noun - Verb

• Oturduğum [Otur-duğ-um] ev budur. - This is the house in which I live.
• En çok sevdiğin [sev-diğ-in ] yemek nedir? - What is the food that you like best?
• Yazdığı [Yaz-dığ-ı] mektubu aldım. - I have received the letter that he wrote.
• Geldiğimiz [Gel-diğ-imiz] araba çalınmış. - The car in which we came has been stolen, they say.
• Beğendiğiniz [Beğen-diğ-iniz] kumaşı bulamadım. - I could not find the material that you liked.
• Yaptıkları [Yap-tık-ları] iyiliği unutamayacağım. - I shall not be able to forget the kindness that they have shown.

This participle, which is used for present as well as past time, is identical with the first person plural of the past definite tense, but a possessive suffix (for person) is added to make it equivalent to a relative pronoun. The final -k changes to -ğ before the possessive suffix, except in the plural.

Let is take the first example and personalize it for all persons:

• Oturduğum ev budur. - This is the house in which I live.
• Oturduğun ev budur. - This is the house in which you live.
• Oturduğu ev budur. - This is the house in which he lives.
• Oturduğumuz ev budur. - This is the house in which we live.
• Oturduğunuz ev budur. - This is the house in which you live.
• Oturdukları ev budur. - This is the house in which they live.

We already know that adjectives can stand in place of nouns in Turkish, so if we take a further example, showing how this happens:
Mehmet, söylediğim cevabı beğenmemiş - Mehmet seemed not to like the answer that I spoke. - here the participle - söylediğim - that which I spoke - is used as an adjective to describe - cevap - answer (which is in the objective case - cevabı, as an object of the final verb - beğenmemiş - not to like (apparently)
However we can make the relative adjective into a noun (a relative pronoun) and put this replacing noun into the objective case: Mehmet, söylediğimi beğenmemiş - Mehmet seemed not to like what I said.

Let us give some examples in all persons

All these relative pronouns are in the objective case as a direct object of the verb - beğenmemiş:

• Mehmet, söylediğimi beğenmemiş - Mehmet did not like what I said.
• Mehmet, söylediğini beğenmemiş - Mehmet did not like what you said.
• Mehmet, söylediğini beğenmemiş - Mehmet did not like what he said.
• Mehmet, söylediğimizi beğenmemiş - Mehmet did not like what we said.
• Mehmet, söylediğinizi beğenmemiş - Mehmet did not like what you said.
• Mehmet, söylediklerini beğenmemiş - Mehmet did not like what they said.

FAQ (12) - Please explain about -deki - The Adjective of Location Suffix.

The Suffix -taki/-teki/-daki/-deki - makes an Adjective of Location - it describes (therefore is in front of its noun) where a thing actually is.
The cat which is on the mat is black - is translated as.. Kilimdeki kedi kara renklidir. [Lit: Mat-on-which-is cat-the black colour-is.]
The Suffix -daki/-deki - forms an Adjective of Location. In English it is a Relative pronouns - which is, who is... - The cat which is on the mat is black coloured.
Good English would say - The cat on the mat is black, - as we often omit the relative pronoun as "understood". Whereas Turkish describes where the cat is sitting by means of an adjective - Kilimdeki kedi
See discussion on -daki

FAQ (13) - Please explain about -ip/-ıp/-up/-üp - The Verbal suffix 0f Apposition meaning - and, also.

Pazara gidip her şey satmak istiyorum = I want to go to the market and sell everything - is quite correct. This is the shorthand way of saying Pazara gidiyorum her şey satmak istiyorum = I want to go to the market and I want to sell everything. -ip does not take any other suffixes after it is used.
If the two verbs are in negative apposition (ie One is Positive and the other Negative the the particle de - also, and is used to show the apposition.
Pazara gidip de hiçbir şey satmak istemiyorum = I want to go to the market and not sell anything
The -ip suffix does not only point to person, but also takes the tense and moods of the final verb.
We would like to go and see Rome = Romaya gidip görmek isteriz. [isteriz = "to go"], the Infinitive, which transfers to the previous -ip suffix As you already know gitmek - to go - softens to gid- when adding a suffix which begins with a vowel as the suffix -ip does. The same goes for the verb etmek - to do which also softens to become edip, Other verbs which end in a hard consonant such as bitmek - to end retain their hard vowel thus bitip is the correct form. See All Exceptions Here are some other examples:
Odanın içinde yer bulup oturdu. - He found a place in the room and sat down.
Çünkü, onlar her zaman bir yolunu bulup istedikleri kadar sigara içiyorlar. - Because thay always find a way and smoke as much as they wish.
Eczaneye gidip bir ilaç almak istemiş. - He wanted to go to the chemist and buy some medicine.
Bilgisayardaki hataları bulup onaracak program var mı?- Is there a programme to find errors and to repair them on the computer?
Gelip de halimi gördün mü? - When you came (On coming) did you see the condition that I was in?
Bilip de anlatmamak. - Knowing and not explaining. (to know and also not explaining)
Bilip de anlatamamak. - To know but not to be able to explain.
Bilip de bilmemezlikten gelmek - To know and/but to pretend not to know. - [see Saying - "to pretend"]
Thanks to Ulas Kayusuz (24 June 2011) for corrections and additions to the above - JG - Manisa Turkish

FAQ (14) - Tell me about the Direct 0bject Suffix - (-i/-ı/-u/ü)

We have to realize that in English we make both the Subject and Object of a sentence substantive by the use of the same Definite Article - "the.." - as an example: The man closed the door. We have learnt elsewhere that the Subject is already understood as substantive in Turkish - so it does not need a Definite Article. In fact the Subject Definite Article - "The" - does not exist in Turkish - there is no "The man.." as it is already understood in context.
However there is an Object Definite Article - "the" in Turkish which appears as the suffix:
-(y)i - (buffer letter -y is used when added to a bare noun stem ending in a vowel) - or:
-(n)i - (buffer letter -n is used when added to an already extended [suffixed] noun) - all according to Vowel harmony Rules.
Adam kapıyı (kapı-yı) kapattı - The man closed the door
(The -yi suffix makes the bare noun - the door - substantive as a Direct Object
Adam kapısını (kapı-sı-nı) kapattı - The man closed his door
(The -ni suffix makes the extended [already suffixed] noun- his door [the door of him] - substantive as a Direct Object.
Here follow some examples of Object Pointers

• Direct Object pointer -i for Simple Noun
• evi boyuyorum - [ev-i] - I am painting the house.
• Direct Object pointer -n-i for Extended Noun
• evini boyuyorum - [ev-i-n-i] - I am painting his house.
• Direct Object pointer -y-i for Simple Noun
• arabayı boyuyorum - [araba-y-ı] - I am painting the car.
• Possessive Pronoun -s-ı plus Direct object pointer -n-ı for Extended Noun.
• arabasını boyuyorum - [araba-s-ı-n-ı] - I am painting his car
• Possessive Pronoun -ları plus Object Pointer -nı for Extended Noun.
• arabalarını boyuyoruz. - [araba-ları-n-ı] - we are painting their car.
• Possessive Pronoun -sı plus Direct object pointer -nı for Extended Noun
• arabasını boyuyor musunuz? - [araba-s-ı-n-ı] - are you painting his car?
• Possessive Pronoun -ınız plus Direct object pointer -ı for Extended Noun.
• Mehmet, arabanızı boyamıyor mu? - [araba-nız-ı] - Isn't Mehmet painting your car?
• Possessive Pronoun -si plus Direct object pointer -ni for Extended Noun.
• kedisini aramıyor muyum? - [kedi-s-i-n-i] - Aren't I looking for his cat?
• Direct Object Pointer-i
• Beni istiyor musun? - [ben -i] - Do you want me?
• Direct Object Pointer-i
• Seni istemiyor muyum? - [sen -i] - Don't I want you?

This Direct Object Suffix which makes the Object substantive is one of the most difficult hurdles for English Speakers to surmount when speaking, reading and understanding The Turkish Language.

See Discussion on Direct Object

FAQ (15) - Please describe The Turkish Language in a nutshell for me.

A Mini Nutshell Overview of The Turkish Language (1)

In Turkish words are changed by fixing other words on to them. These other little important words show motion towards, location and motion from..
These added words change their spelling according to set rules and they must follow the same vowel pattern (Vowel Harmony) as the word they are being affixed to - sometimes they also have a consonant change for ease of pronunciation.
Thus little words (suffixes) added to the stem of a verb may indicate its positive or negative form. Further suffixes are added for tense and person.
Further meaning to verbs such as - "may, might, can, can't" are also supplied by an add-on to the original verb, thus producing a new word.
Nouns are also suffixed with possessor and the motion or location words are then added.
There is no word for "the" (the Definite Article) and also there is no gender forms (no "le" or "la" as in French).
Describing words (Adjectives) precede their noun as in English and always remain in their basic form - no gender thus no agreement...
The sentence form is SOV - Subject, Object, Verb.

A Mini Nutshell Overview of The Turkish Language (2)

Turkish is characterized by vowel harmony, consonant mutation and agglutination. Post positions are used instead of prepositions.
Thus suffixes added to the stem of the verb may indicate positive or negative forms of the passive, reflexive, causative, potential, subjunctive moods plus further additions for tense and person.
Nouns are also suffixed with possessor and aspect (movement toward, movement away suffixes etc.). Both the subject definite article and grammatical gender are lacking. Adjectives precede their noun and do not have to agree in number or case. The sentence form is S.O.V - Subject, Object Verb.
* You can easily spell the words phonetically.
* There are no irregular verbs.
* There is only one irregular noun. [su - water]
* There is no gender: He, she, it are represented by one single pronoun - namely "o"
* There is no distinction between adjectives and adverbs.
* You can convey the meaning without using verbs when you are referring to existence of something. See Full Discussion on Turkish Grammar

FAQ (16) - Tell me about the Position of the Question Particle - mi? mı? mu? mü? - in sentences.

About Questions
mi? - The question Particle- goes after the item that you are questioning: It is not always the verb that is in question. This is the same for English.
Mehmet, is he going home? - Mehmet, eve gidiyor MU? - Question on the verb. (go - gitmek)
Is it home that Mehmet is going to? - Mehmet, eve Mİ gidiyor? - Question on the Object (home - ev)
It it Mehmet who is going home? - Mehmet Mİ, eve gidiyor? - - Question on The subject (Mehmet)
See discussion on Questions

FAQ (17) - I hear - buyurun - everywhere - What does it mean?

Buyurun, Buyrun, Buyurunuz

1. When someone wants to visit you , and asks if you have time, your positive answer will be Buyurun, which literally is an invitation and it means that the speaker will be happy to see the guest in his/her home.
2. When someone wants to say or ask you something you will give him the chance to speak by saying Buyurun!. This corresponds to Yes, please in English.
3. When you go in a store the shopkeeper will say Buyurun to you - it means May I help you? in English.
4. When you offer your guest something to eat or drink you bring it and say Buyurun to the guest. This corresponds to This is for you , or Help yourself, please. in English. In this usage the reply for Buyurun is Teşekkür ederim - Thank you
5. If you want to give way to someone at a door or you want him go first you step aside and say Buyurun It corresponds to After you in English. The reply is Teşekkür ederim
6. When someone at your door and wants enter you say Buyurun, and he comes in. Here it means Please come in in English.
7. When someone comes to visit you you offer him a seat by saying Buyurun This is Have a seat, please! in Turkish.
8. When you pick up the receiver to answer the phone you can either say Alo!, or Buyurun! This is Hello! in English.

See full discussion on - Buyurun

FAQ (18) - Please explain the -sin/-sın/-sun/-sün - suffix, I always thought it meant - "you"?

Formation of the Third Person Imperative.

Finally there is a third person form of verbs which is in wide use - especially in "formula speak". This is formed by adding -sin (singular) or -sinler (plural) directly to the basic verb stem:

Positive Verb Stem
olmak - to become, to happen
olsun - let it be

Negative Verb Stem
olmamak - not to become, not to happen
olmasın - let it not be

Further Examples
koşmak - to run - Singular Forms
koşsun - let him run
koşmasın - let him not run

koşmak - to run - Plural Forms
koşsunlar - let them run
koşmasınlar - let them not run
While in the Hamam - (Turkish Bath) you might say - Keseci gelsin - Lit: Let the masseur come - I am ready for the masseur.

Don't get mixed up.!
The Third Person Imperative ending is added directly to the verb stem - yazsın - Let him write - but if it is added to a tense sign as in - yazıyorsun - then it is the Second Person tense sign - You are writing
So be careful with this one..!
I hope this explains it - the whole point to understand is that if there is NO TENSE SIGN before the -sin or -sinlar then it should be translated as "Let him. (not)" or "Let them (not)"

See full discussion on the Imperative

FAQ (19) - What is the difference between her kez, her zaman,daima when talking about instances of time.

Daima - (adverb) means - always, every time, forever, evermore, ever, forever and ever, forevermore - and it usually is placed first in the sentence; daima seni seviyorum - I will love you forever.

Turkish uses the Present Continuous - seviyorum - as it is more vivid than the Simple Present that we use in English = I love you - severim

kez - (noun) - means - particular (single) occasion(s).
defa (noun) means - occasion - so - her defasinda = each time
sefer (noun) means - journey - but - her seferinde = every time (used as an idiom)

Zaman - (Noun) - seems to mean - time - [the basic original meaning is - whilst.. - I believe] as follows:
1 - Constancy during a certain period, or regularly at stated intervals, invariably, uniformly, (opposed to sometimes or occasionally. at all times), all the time and on every occasion, - I will always be there to help you, He always arrives on time, ever busy..
2 - Forever, throughout all time - We will always be friends, I shall treasure it always, I will always love you.
3 - At any time or in any event - You can always resign if you don't like it, You could always take a day off.
4 - Seemingly, without interruption, often and repeatedly - Always looking for faults, It is always raining, He is forever cracking jokes, They are forever arguing.

There are other words in general use in Turkish which mean - time(s) or occasion(s).
For instance - vakit - (Noun) - the right time, the time (for doing something) - is used:
Boş vaktim yok. - I haven't got time to spare, Vaktin varsa?; - If you have time?
and kere - (noun) - time, times, occasion, instance:
1 - bir kere - once..
2 - iki kere - twice.
3 - times: - İki kere iki dört eder. - Two times two makes four.

However, "her kez" and "her kere" are never used to mean "every time"

See - About Time

FAQ (20) - Why is ile - with, and, also sometimes in its full form and sometimes a harmonized suffix -le/-la?

The word for - with, and, also - in Turkish is - ile.
This is one word which can stand on its own after the word it modifies, in which case it does not follow Vowel Harmony Rules but is always written and spoken - ile.
Mehmet ile - with Mehmet
domuz ile - with the pig
arkadaşın ile - with your friend

However it can also be suffixed to the word in which case it does follow vowel harmony rules and becomes -le or -la or -yle -yla after vowels.
Mehmet'le - with Mehmet
arkadaşınla - with your friend
paltosuyla - with his overcoat
bir arabayla - with a car

When -le or -la is suffixed to a root word ending in a vowel then the buffer letter is always -y-
kediyle, kedi ile - with the cat
kedisiyle, kedisi ile - with his cat
iskemleyle, iskemle ile - with the chair
eli ile, eliyle - with his hand
paltosuyla, paltosu ile - with his overcoat
babayla, baba ile - with father
babasıyla, babası ile - with his father
Whether to use - ile - as stand alone or as a suffix is a free choice of the speaker or writer, there is no hard and fast rule.

FAQ (21) - I thought that istemek - to want did not govern a direct object, but I have seen it do so. Why is this?

The verb istemek - to want - is a special case as it causes no modification of the verb it governs:
yazmak istiyorum - I want to write
içmek isterler - they want to drink
kalmak istemedin - you didn't want to stay
çalışmak istemeyecekler - they will not want to work.
Note that this also applies in English - we also cannot say - I want writing - or - they want drinking.. The object pointer is not required by istemek - to want as the concept of "wanting.." does not affect the verb being governed in any way.

However if istemek governs anything other that a verb then the objective case must be used. We can see from the examples below that istemek is not governing the verb kalmak directly, but it governs a person. Hence the direct object pointer is required.
Kalmamanızı istiyoruz - We want you not to stay - [Kalmama-nız-ı]
Kalmanızı istemiyoruz - We do not want you to stay - [Kalma-nız-ı]
Kalmasını istemiyorlar - They don't want him to stay - [Kalma-sı-n-ı]
Kalmamalarını istemiyorum - I don't want them not to stay - [Kalmama-ları-n-ı]

About the use of - istemek - to want

Note that - İstemek - to want - has its verb object in the Subject Case - ie: Ending in -mak or -mek.
This is exactly the same in English:

It seems that Mehmet wants TO run as well. - Mehmet de koşMAK istiyormuş
I want TO read. - okuMAK istiyorum

FAQ (22) - How do I say - too much.. too many..?

This a common difficulty for the student of Turkish. The dictionary equivalent is - fazla - in excess or simply - çok fazla - very excess or gereğinden fazla more than is required. Old-fashioned style Turkish will say lüzumdan fazla - in excess of its necessity.

(1) Too .. meaning - "very"
In daily conversational Turkish - çok - very - is used to convey the meaning too much.., too many.... In such a sentence as - I didn't buy it, it was too expensive. - the - "too" - should simply be translated by çok - very. Onu almadım, çok pahalıydı - I didn't buy it, it was too expensive.

(2) Too meaning - "overly, excessively"
fazla - in excess - should be used where the context does not make sense by using çok - very. Baban, seninle fazla sabırlıdır - Your father is too patient with you.

See - Too much..too many

FAQ (23) - evin means your house and also of the house or the house's. How can I tell which -in suffix to use?

Well, this is a famous Turkish Language ambiguity. What you say is correct. The answer is it must be translated by the context that it is in. (Nothing is ever what it seems to be..) Usually if it is genitive then it it will possess something else evin penceresi - the window of the house - and the "something else" will have the "possessed" specifier suffixed. ev-in duvar-ı - the wall of the house - evin duvarı. So the genitive ıs easy to see.
And look - The wall of your house - thus becomes - evinin duvarı ( ev-in-in duvar-ı)
If there is a problem with it being personalized - evin - your house - the you can add the Personal Pronoun as well - senin evin - your house. You might say - Senin evin temiz or Evin temiz - both mean - Your house is clean.
If the word - your house - needs to be further suffixed - (ie.) - from your house - evinden - then the original form is correct - (senin is not required)

FAQ (24) - When forming Simple Present Tense, how do I choose the suffix from -ar, -er, -ir, -ır, -ur or -ür?

This is the only tense which shows some irregularity in formation. The actual tense sign is -r in the positive and -mez in the negative.
As you rightly say the positive does not seem to have regularity in it vowel. Is it -ar, -er, -ır, -ir, - ur, or -ür ???
Well, these irregularities (only 13 in number) have to be learned by heart.
It is an orthographic change from the mists of time and unfortunately the verbs are commonly used. So like me (and everybody) you have to learn them. Luckily there are not many and you can find the comprehensive list at Simple Present Irregular Verb List
The rest of the verbs are formed using normal vowel harmony rules (which you have to learn as well, until it is automatic!)

FAQ (25) - Please explain about the suffix -ince and -inceye kadar

How to say "On doing, When I do"

-ınca/-ince -unca/-ünce (after a vowel buffer letter -y is used producing -yınca/-yince -yunca/- yünce) is easy - it is added to Verb Stem (web without -mek/-mak) to mean "On doing..". It can also be translated - "When (that).. As (that).."

Some examples:

bakınca - on looking, bakmayınca - on not looking
arayınca - on lookıng for, aramayınca - on not looking for
kesince - on cutting, kesmeyince - on not cutting
çıkınca - on going out, çıkmayınca - on not going out
gidince - on coming, gitmeyince - on not coming
gülünce - on laughing, gülmeyince - on not laughing
görünce - on seeing, görmeyince - on not seeing

The suffix -ınca/-ince -unca/-ünce does not show person or tense.

The person is taken from the subject of the sentence and the tense is taken from the verb at the end of the sentence.
Kasap, eti kesince bıçağını düşürdü - On cutting the meat the butcher dropped his knife. - (As the butcher cut the meat he dropped his knife.)
Mehmet, bana vurunca bizden kaçtı - Mehmet on hitting me escaped from us. - (When Mehmet hit me he escaped from us)
A note about the the verb - vurmak
When used with The Motion Toward (Dative Suffix -a/-e) - it means - to strike, to hit
Mehmet bana vurdu - Mehmet hit me - [to me]
When used with Direct Object (Accusative Suffix -ı/-i/-u/-ü)- it means - to shoot dead, to kill
Mehmet kuşu vurdu - Mehmet shot the bird [dead]
Thanks to Gülçin K. (17 May 2010) and Ulas Kayusuz (24 June 2011) for pointing out the differing meanings of vurmak when used with varying objective suffixes - JG - Manisa Turkish
Tavandan su damlayınca onun altında büyük bir havuz oluşacak - On the water dripping from the ceiling a big pool will be formed underneath it.
Bana gülünce Ayşe hanım hemen hemen bayılır - On laughing at me Miss Ayshe nearly faints - (Miss Ayshe nearly faints when she laughs at me)
Sana gülünce Selim hanım bayıldı - On laughing at you Miss Selim fainted [actually] - (When Miss Selim laughed at you, she fainted)
Sana gülünce Selim hanım bayılmış gibi! - On laughing at you Miss Selim seemed to faint! - (When Miss Selim laughed at you, she fainted, like!)
Mehmd'e gülünce her halde Deren hanım bayılacak - On laughing at Mehmet Miss Deren will probably faint - (Miss Deren will probably faint when she laughs at Mehmet)
So you can see the tenses and persons change with the sentence meaning.

Extended verb forms

You can also add -inca to other forms of the verb, such as Passive or Abilitative [can, can't]
Bu işi yapamayınca, ondan vazgeçtim - On not being able to do thıs job, I gave up - [verb Negative Abilitative - yapamamak - not being able to do]
Kapı vurulunca biri/birisi hemen onu açtı - On the door being knocked, someone immediately opened it. [Verb Passive - vurulmak - to be knocked]
Seni görebilince çok mutluyum - On being able to see you, I am very happy
Seni görebilince çok mutluydum - On being able to see you, I was very happy
Seni görebilince çok mutlu olacaklar - On being able to see you,they will be very happy
Seni görmeyince çok mutsuzdum - On not seeing you , I was very unhappy
Seni göremeyince çok mutsuzdum - On not being able to see you, I was very unhappy

How to Say - until..

The Suffix -inceye kadar [-ince-y-e kadar] and its variations:

The Suffixes -inceye kadar, -ünceye kadar -ıncaya kadar, -uncaya kadar, and after verb-stems, and -yinceye, -yünceye, -yıncaya, -yuncaya after vowel verb-stems, stand for "until"in English.
(The form is -ince in its dative case [-ince-ye] used with the postposition - kadar - amount) = [- e kadar =" to the amount of doing."]
Biz telefon edinceye kadar bekleyecek - She is going to wait until we telephone [ed-ince-ye from etmek]
Çocuk uyuyuncaya kadar yanında oturunuz - Stay with the child until she sleeps [uyu-y-unca-ya from uyumak]
Hırsız hava kararıncaya kadar bekledi - The thief waited until dark, [karar-ınca-ya from kararmak]
Güneş çıkıncaya kadar evde kalalım - Let's stay at home until the sun rises. [çık-ınca-ya from çıkmak]
Acıkıncaya kadar yürüyelim - Let's walk until we are hungry [Acık-ınca-ya from acıkmak - to be hungry]. The examples in the last section are taken from Colloquial Turkish by Yusuf Mardin - Pub: RKP in 1976

FAQ (26) - Why does the last letter -ç of ağaç - tree change to -c in ağacın - your tree?

This orthographic change is due to Consonant Mutation (change) Rule No 1.

Consonant Mutation Rules

1. If the word ends in any of these Unvoiced Consonants [p, ç, t, k]:
When adding a suffix beginning with a vowel - this last letter of the root word changes to its voiced [p > b, ç > c, t > d, k > ğ] form:
kitap - book becomes kitabı - his book
kazanç - profit becomes kazancı - his profit
kilit - lock becomes kilidi - his lock
köpek - dog becomes köpeğiniz - Your dog

2. If the word ends in an Unvoiced Consonant [p, ç, t, k , f, h , s, ş]:
When adding a suffix beginning with a consonant - then the suffix consonant changes to its unvoiced Form [d → t]:
kilit - lock becomes kilitte - in the lock
köpek - dog becomes köpekten - from the dog
sabah - morning becomes sabahtan - from the morning
giriş - exit becomes girişte - at the exit
etc..

These are the Complete Rules of Consonant Mutation

See all about Consonant Mutation

FAQ (27) - How do say - I know - in Turkish

Note the two words meaning - to know how to.. or to know someone.. in Turkish:

bilmek - to know how to..
yüzme biliyorum - I know how to swim

tanımak - to know somebody
Ali, beni tanıyor - Ali knows me

There can be some differing ways to say the same thing in Turkish - for instance:
Do you know how to play football?
To ask - Exactly? - Futbol oyamasını biliyor musun? - Do you play football?
Or to ask - Particular? - Futbol oynamayı biliyor musun? - Do you know how to play football?
Or to ask - Generally speaking? - Futbol oynama biliyor musun? - Do you know about football playing?

FAQ (28) - Why has çalışamayan got the -a- after the -ş ?

This the Negative Potential "cannot" mood verb sign as a SUBJECT PARTICIPLE.

This mood is easily formed in all tenses just by inserting an -e- or -a- before the negative suffix of any negative verb whether it be active, passive, reflexive, reciprocal,or causative - (in effect we form a completely new verb - with its own infinitive)

The Positive Potential
çalışmak = to work. çalışabilmek = to be able to work Hence: çalışabilen = who is able to work/who can work

The Negative Potential
çalışmamak = not to work. çalışamamak = not to be able to work. Hence: çalışamayan - who is unable to work/who can not work. Just the -ama- makes a Negative Potential.

It is called a Subject Participle because it DESCRIBES the Subject and as a Participle it is a VERBAL ADJECTIVE (same thing), consequently it PRECEDES or REPLACES the noun which it DESCRIBES. All Participles are actually Adjectives so must always have a noun following to describe, then, by position (in sentence) you cannot mix them with a verb which must always come at the end of a sentence as the last word in that sentence.

As an Example (we may be talking about a disabled or handicapped person):
As a SUBJECT DESCRIBING ADJECTIVE bir çalışamayan adam = A man who is unable to work or simply as a NOUN REPLACEMENT - bir çalışamayan = one who is unable to work.

FAQ (29) - Dünyalarından translates from their world. Shouldn't this be "from their worlds" (plural) ?

The suffix for his is -(s)i so dünyası (dünya-sı) - his world becomes in the plural dünyaları (dünya-lar-ı) - his worlds
The suffix for their is -leri but dünyaları (dünya-ları) becomes both sıngular or plural their world OR their worlds as dünyalarları is wrong because the -lar suffix cannot be re-duplicated.
Of course it seems that "their worlds" should be - dünyalar-ları - but suffixes ending in -lar are never doubled, therefore the context should make the singularity or plurality of the noun in question clear.

However if it is necessary to be explicit in the meaning, then the Personal Pronouns are used:
dünyası becomes onun dünyası - his world for singular and dünyaları becomes onun dünyaları - his worlds for plural
dünyaları - their world/their worlds becomes onların dünyası - their world for singular and onların dünyaları - their worlds for plural.

So the question example can be made explicit:
Dünyalarından = onların dünyasından - from their world AND onların dünyalarından - from their worlds OR onun dünyalarından - from his worlds

Flummoxed? So am I, but the Turks do it naturally.