Learn Hardcore Turkish: Süre bitince ödevimi öğretmene teslim ediyorum. - When the time is up, I hand in my homework to the teacher.

The word bitince comes from the verb bitmek (“to end/finish”) plus the suffix -ince, which attaches directly to the verb stem to create a temporal clause meaning “when/once it ends.” So süre bitince literally means “when the time ends.”

Can I say süre bittiğinde or süre bitirdikten sonra instead of süre bitince? Are they interchangeable?

Yes, both are possible, but there are slight style differences:

• süre bittiğinde uses the suffix -diğinde, another way to say “when it has ended.”
• süre bitirdikten sonra uses the structure (verb)-dikten sonra, meaning “after finishing.”

All three convey similar timing, though -ince is more colloquial and often smoother in spoken Turkish.

Why is the object ödevimi and how does possession work here?

ödevimi is composed of ödev (“homework”) + possessive suffix -im (“my”) + accusative case -i (marks the direct object). So ödevimi means “my homework” as the thing you hand in. In Turkish, you attach the possessive suffix directly to the noun and then add the case ending.

Why is öğretmene in the dative case?

The verb teslim etmek (“to deliver/submit”) requires the recipient of something to be in the dative. The dative suffix is -e/-a, so öğretmene means “to the teacher.” Without it, you wouldn’t clearly mark who receives the homework.

Why is the main verb teslim ediyorum in the present continuous rather than the simple present?

Turkish often uses the present continuous (-iyor suffix) to describe habitual actions or general truths. Here, teslim ediyorum can mean “I submit” as a routine (“When time is up, I hand in my homework”). A simple present (teslim ederim) is also possible but sounds a bit more formal or less natural in casual contexts.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Ödevimi öğretmene süre bitince teslim ediyorum?

Turkish word order is relatively flexible because case endings signal grammatical roles. Your alternative Ödevimi öğretmene süre bitince teslim ediyorum is grammatically correct but less natural. Placing the time clause (süre bitince) at the front highlights the timing. The usual flow is: time clause → object(s) → verb.