Learn Hardcore Turkish: Göl kenarında kitap okumak çok dinlendirici. - Reading a book by the lakeside is very relaxing.

Turkish has no separate words for indefinite or definite articles. Context and suffixes carry that meaning. You simply say göl for “a/the lake” and kitap for “a/the book.”

Could I just say gölda instead of göl kenarında to mean “by the lake”?

Not quite.

gölde (“in/at the lake”) is the locative of göl and would imply you’re literally in the water or area of the lake.
göl kenarında (“by the lakeside/at the lake’s edge”) is more specific: you’re on the shore.

What do the suffixes in kenarında represent?

The word kenarında is built from kenar (“edge/side”) plus two suffixes:

-ı(n) = third-person possessive (“its edge”)
-da = locative case (“at/on”)
Put together: kenar + -ı(n) + -da → kenarında, literally “at its edge.”

Why is kitap okumak in the infinitive form instead of a conjugated verb like okuyorum?

In Turkish you can use the infinitive (verb stem + -mak/-mek) as a noun. Here kitap okumak (“to read a book”/“reading a book”) functions as the subject of the sentence.

How do you form the infinitive -mak/-mek in Turkish?

Attach -mak or -mek to the verb root, choosing the vowel by harmony:

oku- (read) + -mak → okumak
gel- (come) + -mek → gelmek
This form can act like an English gerund or noun.

What does the suffix -ici in dinlendirici do?

The suffix -dir + -ici turns a verb into an adjective meaning “causing” that action. From dinlen- (“to rest”), you get dinlendirici = “that which makes you rest/relaxes you.”

What is the role of çok in çok dinlendirici?

çok is an adverb meaning “very” or “much.” It modifies the adjective dinlendirici to give çok dinlendirici = “very relaxing.”