Öğle yemeğinde döner yedim.

A very literal breakdown is:

• öğle = noon / midday
• yemeği = meal / food (here, part of öğle yemeği, meaning lunch)
• -nde = in / at
• döner = döner
• yedim = I ate

So the whole sentence is literally something like:

• At lunch, I ate döner
• or I ate döner for lunch

In natural English, for lunch is often the best translation.

Because öğle yemeği means lunch, and the ending -de/-da is the locative case, which often means in, at, on, during depending on context.

So:

• öğle yemeği = lunch
• öğle yemeğinde = at lunch / during lunch / at lunchtime

In this sentence, English usually prefers:

• I ate döner for lunch

even though Turkish is structurally closer to at lunch.

This is a very common learner question.

The base expression is:

• öğle yemeği = lunch

Here, yemeği already contains a noun-compound ending. When Turkish adds another suffix to this kind of form, it often inserts a buffer n before the case ending.

So:

• öğle yemeği
  • -de
• becomes öğle yemeğinde

That n is not random; it is a normal linking consonant used after this kind of noun form.

So the structure is basically:

• öğle yemeği = lunch
• öğle yemeğinde = at lunch

Döner is the food item, short for döner kebap in many contexts.

In everyday Turkish, people often just say:

• döner yedim = I ate döner
• döner alalım = let’s get döner

So in this sentence, döner is simply the thing eaten.

Because in Turkish, a direct object often stays unmarked when it is indefinite or non-specific.

So:

• döner yedim = I ate döner / I ate some döner
• döneri yedim = I ate the döner / I ate that specific döner

This is a very important Turkish pattern.

In this sentence, döner is being treated as an indefinite object, so there is no accusative suffix.

The difference is mainly specificity.

• döner yedim = I ate döner / I had döner
  
  • general, indefinite
• döneri yedim = I ate the döner
  
  • specific, known, identifiable

For example:

• Bugün öğle yemeğinde döner yedim. = Today I had döner for lunch.
• Masadaki döneri yedim. = I ate the döner on the table.

So your sentence sounds natural because it is just talking about what kind of food was eaten, not a particular piece of döner already identified.

Because Turkish word order is typically Subject–Object–Verb.

English usually prefers:

• I ate döner at lunch

But Turkish often prefers:

• (I) at lunch döner ate

So:

• Öğle yemeğinde = time expression
• döner = object
• yedim = verb

Putting the verb at the end is very normal in Turkish.

Yedim comes from the verb yemek = to eat.

Breakdown:

• ye- = verb stem
• -di = past tense
• -m = I

So:

• ye + di + m → yedim
• meaning I ate

This is the simple past tense, used for completed actions.

Because Turkish often leaves subject pronouns out when they are already clear from the verb ending.

Here:

• yedim already means I ate
• the -m ending tells you the subject is I

So:

• Ben öğle yemeğinde döner yedim. = I ate döner for lunch.
• Öğle yemeğinde döner yedim. = I ate döner for lunch.

Both are correct, but the version without ben is more neutral and natural unless you want emphasis.

The letter ğ in Turkish is often called soft g, but it usually is not pronounced like a hard consonant in English.

In these words, it often:

• lengthens the vowel before it, or
• creates a smooth glide

So:

• öğle sounds roughly like ö-le with a softened, lengthened transition
• yemeğinde also has a soft transition around ğ

A good rule for learners:
don’t try to pronounce ğ like English g in go.
It is usually much softer, and sometimes almost seems to disappear.

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible, although the verb usually stays at or near the end.

For example:

• Öğle yemeğinde döner yedim.
• Döner öğle yemeğinde yedim.
• Ben öğle yemeğinde döner yedim.

These can all be grammatical, but they may sound different in emphasis or focus.

The original sentence is a very natural, neutral way to say it.

In grammar, it is closest to at lunch or during lunch because of the locative ending.

But in real translation, English often says:

• I ate döner for lunch

So the Turkish form and the most natural English form do not match word-for-word.

That is very common in language learning:
the Turkish structure is one thing, but the best English translation may be slightly different.