Learn Hardcore Turkish: Akşam lobideki güvenlik kamerası ekranını izleyerek otelin etrafını gözlemledim. - I watched the security camera feed in the lobby to observe the hotel surroundings.

lobi (lobby) + -de (locative case “in/at”) → lobide (“in the lobby”)
-ki (relative participle) attaches to locative phrases to mean “the one that is in/at …”
So lobideki literally means “the one that is in the lobby.” Here it modifies güvenlik kamerası (“security camera”), yielding “the security camera that is in the lobby.”
Example:
• evdeki çocuk = “the child who is in the house”

Why is ekranını spelled with two suffixes and what do they indicate?

ekranını breaks down as follows:

ekran (screen)
-ı (3rd person singular possessive: “its screen,” i.e. the camera’s screen)
-nı (accusative case marker with buffer consonant n, marking a definite direct object)

Order in Turkish NPs:
• noun root + possessive suffix + case suffix

So ekranını = “its screen” (the camera’s screen) marked as the definite object of izleyerek.

Example:
• arabanın kapısını açtım = “I opened the car door.”

What does izleyerek mean and why is it used here instead of a simple past form?

izleyerek is the gerundial (verbal noun) form of izlemek (“to watch”) with the suffix -erek/-arak. It indicates the means or method of an action.
• izlemek (to watch) + -erek (means/“by …-ing”) → izleyerek (“by watching”)

In the sentence it shows that the speaker observed the hotel’s surroundings by watching the security‐camera screen. It is not a past‐tense form; it’s a non‐finite form used to link two actions (method + main action).

Example:
• müziği dinleyerek ders çalışıyorum = “I study by listening to music.”

How do we form otelin etrafını and what do the suffixes -in and -ını show?

otelin etrafını is built in two steps:

otel (hotel) + -in (genitive) → otelin (“of the hotel”) – marks the possessor
etraf (surroundings) + -ı (3rd person singular possessive: “its surroundings”) + -nı (accusative) → etrafını (“the surroundings of it” as a definite object)

Combine → otelin etrafını = “the hotel’s surroundings” (as the direct object of gözlemledim).

Example:
• çocuğun oyuncağını aldım = “I took the child’s toy.”

What is the difference between izlemek and gözlemlemek, and why are both used in the sentence?

• izlemek = “to watch” or “to monitor” (e.g. TV shows, video, screens)
• gözlemlemek = “to observe” in a more systematic or analytical sense (e.g. surveying an environment)

In the sentence:

izleyerek tells us how the speaker did it (“by watching the camera screen”)
gözlemledim is the main verb, “I observed” (i.e. I surveyed the hotel’s surroundings)

This pairing highlights tool/method versus goal/purpose.

Why is Akşam placed at the beginning of the sentence, and is this order flexible?

Turkish typically follows SOV, but adverbs of time (like Akşam = “in the evening”) often come at the very start to set the scene. It emphasizes when the action occurred. The order is flexible:

• Akşam lobideki güvenlik kamerası ekranını izleyerek otelin etrafını gözlemledim.
• Lobideki güvenlik kamerası ekranını izleyerek akşam otelin etrafını gözlemledim.

Both are grammatically correct; fronting Akşam simply highlights the time.

How is the compound güvenlik kamerası formed, and why does kamera take a possessive suffix?

In Turkish noun‐noun compounds, we often use:
• First noun in bare form + second noun with 3rd person singular possessive suffix

Here:

güvenlik (security) – a noun formed from güven (“trust”) + -lik
kamera (camera) + -sı (3rd person singular possessive) → kamerası

This yields güvenlik kamerası (“security camera”). The suffix -sı indicates a permanent “of” relationship.

Example compounds:
• araba kapısı = “car door”
• televizyon ekranı = “TV screen”