Ben minderde kitap okuyorum.

I am reading a book on the cushion.

Breakdown of Ben minderde kitap okuyorum.

• ben: I
• kitap: the book
• okumak: to read
• -de: on
• minder: the cushion

Questions & Answers about Ben minderde kitap okuyorum.

What is the locative case, and why is minderde formed with -de?

The -de in minderde is the locative case suffix, which expresses “in/on/at something.” In Turkish you attach -da/-de/-ta/-te directly to a noun to show location. Because minder ends in a front vowel e and a voiced consonant r, vowel and consonant harmony give you -de:
 • minder + de → minderde (“on the cushion”)

Why doesn't kitap take an accusative suffix like -ı here?

Turkish marks definite (specific) direct objects with the accusative suffix -ı/-i/-u/-ü. If you’re talking about “reading a book” in general (indefinite), you leave kitap unmarked.
 • Ben minderde kitap okuyorum = “I’m reading (a) book on the cushion.”
If you want to say “I’m reading the book,” you’d add the suffix:
 • Ben minderde kitabı okuyorum = “I’m reading the book on the cushion.”

Why is there no article equivalent to the or a before kitap?

Turkish does not have separate words for “a” or “the.” Instead, definiteness is shown by whether you add the accusative suffix:
 • Unmarked noun = indefinite (“a …”)
 • Noun + accusative = definite (“the …”)
So there’s simply no article word in Turkish.

How is the present continuous tense formed in okuyorum, and why is the suffix -uyor and not -iyor?

Break down okuyorum into three parts:
 1. oku- (stem “to read”)
 2. -yor (present‐continuous marker)
 3. -um (1st‐person singular ending)
Because the stem vowel is u (a back‐rounded vowel), vowel harmony dictates the continuous suffix be -uyor. Then adding -um gives okuyorum (“I am reading”).

Is the subject pronoun ben necessary in Ben minderde kitap okuyorum? Why include or omit it?

Turkish verbs are conjugated for person, so the pronoun ben (“I”) is optional. You include ben only for emphasis or clarity. Without it, Minderde kitap okuyorum still means “I’m reading a book on the cushion.”

How strict is word order in Turkish? Why does minderde (place) come before kitap (object)?

The default word order is SOV (Subject-Object-Verb), and unmarked adverbials of place/time typically come before the object:
 Subject (Ben) → Place (minderde) → Object (kitap) → Verb (okuyorum)
That said, Turkish word order is fairly flexible and can be shifted for emphasis, as long as the verb stays last.

Could I also say Ben kitap minderde okuyorum or Kitap minderde okuyorum?

Yes. Both are grammatically correct and just shift the focus:
 • Ben kitap minderde okuyorum (“It’s me who’s reading a book on the cushion.”)
 • Kitap minderde okuyorum (“It’s the book that I’m reading on the cushion.”)
In all cases the verb okuyorum remains at the end.

How can I distinguish the locative suffix -de in minderde from the separate word de meaning “also”?

The locative -de/-da is a suffix attached directly to the noun (no space), following vowel/consonant harmony. The conjunction de/da meaning “also/too” is a separate word, written with a space.
 • minderde (one word) = “on the cushion”
 • minder de (two words) = “and the cushion (also)” – a completely different meaning.