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Questions & Answers about Ben yıldızları sayıyorum.
Why does the sentence start with Ben, and is it necessary?
In Turkish the subject pronoun ben (I) is usually optional because the verb ending already tells you the subject. You include ben here for emphasis or clarity. Saying Yıldızları sayıyorum alone still means “I am counting the stars.”
What does the suffix -ları in yıldızları represent?
The -ları suffix is actually two parts: the plural marker -lar plus the definite direct-object (accusative) marker -ı. Altogether it shows you’re counting specific stars (the stars) in the plural.
Why is it yıldızları and not yıldızleri or simply yıldızlar?
Because of Turkish vowel harmony, yıldız has a back vowel (ı), so the plural is -lar (not -ler). Then you add the accusative -ı, yielding yıldızları. Without -ı, yıldızlar would mean just “(some) stars.”
What’s the difference between yıldızlar and yıldızları?
Yıldızlar = “stars” (plural, indefinite).
Yıldızları = “the stars” (plural, definite direct object) thanks to the accusative -ı.