İlk eşleşme kısa sürdü.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• ilk = first
• eşleşme = match / pairing / matchup
• kısa = short
• sürdü = lasted

So the structure is roughly:

• İlk eşleşme = the first match / the first pairing
• kısa sürdü = lasted a short time / was short

Turkish often expresses this more literally than English: The first match lasted short → natural English: The first match didn’t last long or The first match was short.

Turkish does not have a definite article like English the.

So ilk eşleşme can mean:

• the first match
• first match

Which one sounds best depends on context. In a full sentence like this, English usually prefers the first match.

İlk means first and it comes before the noun it describes, just like in English:

• ilk gün = the first day
• ilk maç = the first match
• ilk eşleşme = the first pairing

A useful thing to know is that ilk usually stays the same; it does not normally take agreement endings the way adjectives sometimes do in other languages.

Here, eşleşme is a noun.

It comes from the verb eşleşmek, which means things like:

• to be matched
• to pair up
• to match with each other

The ending -me / -ma can create a verbal noun, so eşleşme means something like:

• matching
• pairing
• matchup
• pairing event/result

In this sentence, it refers to the event or instance of being matched, so match / pairing / matchup is a natural translation.

This is a very common point of confusion.

In kısa sürdü, Turkish uses kısa as a kind of complement with the verb sürmek (to last). The idea is:

• kısa sürdü = it lasted short → natural English: it was short / it didn’t last long

So Turkish does not need an adverb like English might.

Compare:

• Toplantı uzun sürdü. = The meeting lasted a long time.
• Film kısa sürdü. = The film was short / didn’t last long.

You can also say:

• kısa bir süre sürdü = it lasted a short time

That version is more explicit, but kısa sürdü is already natural.

Sürdü is the simple past tense of sürmek.

• dictionary form: sürmek
• past stem: sürd-
• third person singular past: sürdü = he/she/it lasted

In this sentence, the subject is ilk eşleşme, so:

• İlk eşleşme kısa sürdü. = The first match lasted a short time.

A few other examples:

• Ders iki saat sürdü. = The lesson lasted two hours.
• Yolculuk uzun sürdü. = The trip took a long time.

Turkish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are clear from context.

Here, the subject is already stated:

• İlk eşleşme = the first match

So there is no need to add a separate word for it. Turkish simply says:

• İlk eşleşme kısa sürdü.

This is very normal. Turkish avoids unnecessary pronouns much more than English does.

The basic order is:

Subject + complement + verb

• İlk eşleşme = subject
• kısa = complement describing the duration/result
• sürdü = verb

Turkish commonly places the verb at the end, so this sentence is very standard.

English:

• The first match was short / didn’t last long.

Turkish:

• İlk eşleşme kısa sürdü.

You may sometimes see different word orders for emphasis, but this version is the neutral, natural one.

Yes, absolutely.

• İlk eşleşme kısa sürdü.
• İlk eşleşme kısa bir süre sürdü.

Both are natural.

The difference is:

• kısa sürdü = more compact; it was short / it didn’t last long
• kısa bir süre sürdü = more explicit; it lasted for a short time

So the second version spells out the idea of a short period more clearly.

Not necessarily.

Depending on context, eşleşme can mean:

• pairing
• matchup
• matching
• match

For example, it can be used for:

• tournament pairings
• game matchmaking
• pairing two people or teams
• matching items or data

So the exact English word depends on the situation. If the context is sports or games, matchup or match may fit. In a more general context, pairing may be better.

A rough guide for an English speaker:

• İlk ≈ ilk
• eşleşme ≈ esh-LESH-meh
• kısa ≈ kuh-SUH
• sürdü ≈ SEWR-dyü

A few key sounds:

• ı is not the English i. It is a deeper, central vowel, somewhat like the vowel in sofa, but without fully becoming uh.
• ş = sh
• ü is like German ü or French u; say ee with rounded lips.

You do not need perfect pronunciation right away, but ş, ı, and ü are worth practicing because they are very common in Turkish.