Learn Hardcore Turkish: Köpek yemek yiyor.

Köpek is the subject meaning dog; yemek is the object meaning food; and yiyor is the conjugated verb in the present continuous tense, meaning is eating.

How can I distinguish between the noun and verb forms of yemek?

In Turkish, yemek can serve as both a noun and a verb. In this sentence, the standalone yemek functions as a noun meaning food, while the verb yiyor—which comes from the same root—has been conjugated to indicate that the action is eating is taking place.

What is the typical word order in Turkish, and how does it differ from English?

Turkish usually follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, whereas English typically uses a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order. In this example, köpek (subject) comes first, yemek (object) second, and yiyor (verb) at the end.

Why are there no articles like "the" or "a/an" in the sentence?

Turkish does not use articles in the same way as English. Nouns such as köpek and yemek are used without any definite or indefinite articles.

Should the object yemek carry an accusative case marker, and why or why not?

In Turkish, an accusative marker (usually -i) is added when the object is definite or specific. In this sentence, yemek is used in a general, indefinite sense to mean food, so the marker is omitted.