Feribot terminalinde arabalı vapuru bekledik.

Because feribot terminali is a Turkish noun compound meaning ferry terminal.

• feribot = ferry
• terminal = terminal
• feribot terminali = ferry terminal

In this kind of compound, the second noun usually takes a 3rd-person possessive ending:

• terminal → terminali

Then the locative ending -de/-da is added. After a possessed noun, Turkish inserts n before some case endings:

• terminali
  • -de → terminalinde

So feribot terminalinde means at/in the ferry terminal.

It breaks down like this:

• feribot = ferry
• terminal-i = its terminal / the terminal of the ferry → this is the standard compound form
• terminali-n-de = at/in the terminal

So the full phrase is:

• feribot terminalinde = at the ferry terminal

This is very common in Turkish:

• otobüs durağı = bus stop
• tren istasyonu = train station
• şehir merkezi = city center

Arabalı comes from:

• araba = car
• -lı / -li / -lu / -lü = with, having, containing

So arabalı literally means with cars or car-carrying.

In arabalı vapur, it refers to a ferry that carries cars, so the natural meaning is car ferry.

This -lı suffix is very common:

• şekerli çay = tea with sugar
• tuzlu = salty / with salt
• bahçeli ev = house with a garden

Because vapur is the direct object of bekledik (we waited for), and in Turkish, a specific/definite direct object usually takes the accusative ending.

• base form: vapur
• accusative: vapur-u

So:

• arabalı vapuru bekledik = we waited for the car ferry

This suggests a specific ferry, not just any ferry in general.

Compare:

• Vapur bekledik. = We waited for a ferry.
• Vapuru bekledik. = We waited for the ferry.

This is just a difference in how the two languages structure the verb.

In English:

• wait for something

In Turkish:

• bir şeyi beklemek = literally to wait something

So beklemek takes a direct object in Turkish, not a preposition like for.

Examples:

• Seni bekliyorum. = I’m waiting for you.
• Otobüsü bekledik. = We waited for the bus.
• Misafirleri bekliyorlar. = They are waiting for the guests.

Bekledik can be divided into:

• bekle- = wait
• -di- = past tense
• -k = we

So:

• bekledik = we waited

This is a very common pattern:

• geldik = we came
• gördük = we saw
• oturduk = we sat / we lived

The -di part can change form because of vowel harmony and consonant changes, but here it appears as -di / -dı / -du / -dü / -ti / -tı / -tu / -tü depending on the word.

Because Turkish verbs already show the subject.

In bekledik, the ending -k tells you the subject is we.

So biz is not necessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

• Bekledik. = We waited.
• Biz bekledik. = We waited. / It was we who waited.

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

They can overlap, but they are not always used in exactly the same way.

• feribot is a more direct equivalent of ferry
• vapur often refers to a passenger boat/ferry, especially in Turkish everyday usage

In this sentence:

• feribot terminali = ferry terminal
• arabalı vapur = car ferry

So one part names the place, and the other names the specific vehicle being waited for.

This may sound slightly repetitive in English, but it is natural in Turkish.

No. Turkish speakers may also say araba vapuru.

Both are used, but they are built differently:

• arabalı vapur = ferry with cars / car-carrying ferry
• araba vapuru = car ferry

The sentence uses arabalı vapur, which strongly suggests a ferry designed to carry cars.

Turkish word order is flexible, but the most neutral order is often:

• time/place + object + verb

So this sentence follows a very natural pattern:

• Feribot terminalinde = at the ferry terminal
• arabalı vapuru = the car ferry
• bekledik = we waited

Putting the location first sets the scene.

A different order is possible, for example:

• Arabalı vapuru feribot terminalinde bekledik.

That still means basically the same thing, but the focus may shift slightly.

It can correspond to either in English, depending on context.

The Turkish locative ending -de/-da covers both in and at in many situations.

So:

• feribot terminalinde could be understood as in the ferry terminal or at the ferry terminal

In natural English, at the ferry terminal is probably the best translation here.