Learn Hardcore Turkish: Haftalık bütçe yaparak tasarruf etmeyi öğrenebilirsin. - You can learn to save by making a weekly budget.

The -arak suffix is the “gerundial” or “adverbial” form meaning “by doing” or “through doing.” Here, yaparak comes from yapmak (“to make/do”) and means “by making” (i.e. “by making a weekly budget”). It shows the means or method.

Why is tasarruf followed by etmek (instead of standing alone)?

Tasarruf is a noun meaning “saving(s).” To turn it into a verb “to save,” Turkish typically uses etmek (“to do/make”). So tasarruf etmek literally means “to do savings,” i.e. “to save.”

Why is it tasarruf etmeyi (with -yi) instead of just tasarruf etme?

The -yi is the accusative/definite object marker. Öğrenmek (“to learn”) takes a noun or verbal noun as its direct object, so “learning saving” becomes tasarruf etmeyi öğrenmek. In the sentence, the whole verbal noun tasarruf etmeyi is what you can learn.

How is öğrenebilirsin formed? Can you break it down?

Öğrenebilirsin = öğren- + abil- + -ir + -sin
• öğren- = root “learn”
• -ebil- = ability/possibility suffix “can”
• -ir = aorist/neutral tense marker
• -sin = 2nd person singular ending “you”
Altogether: “you can learn.”

Why do we use öğrenebilirsin (“you can learn”) instead of simply öğrenirsin (“you learn”)?

Using öğrenebilirsin emphasizes potential: “you have the ability to learn.” Öğrenirsin would just state “you learn” or “you will learn,” without highlighting that it’s something you can start doing or are able to do.

What does haftalık mean, and how is it different from haftada?

Haftalık is an adjective meaning “weekly” (literally “week-ly”). It describes the type of budget.
Haftada is an adverbial time expression meaning “in a week” or “per week.” If you said haftada bir bütçe yapmak, it’d mean “to make a budget once a week.” With haftalık, you simply say “weekly budget.”

Could you say bütçe yapıp tasarruf etmeyi öğrenebilirsin instead of using yaparak? What’s the difference?

Yes, grammatically you could say bütçe yapıp tasarruf etmeyi öğrenebilirsin. But -ıp connects two actions in sequence: “Do a budget and then you’ll learn…”
By contrast, yaparak (“by doing a budget”) stresses the means: “through the act of budgeting, you’ll learn to save.”

Is it okay to drop haftalık and just say Bütçe yaparak tasarruf etmeyi öğrenebilirsin?

Absolutely. That version means “By budgeting, you can learn to save.” You’d lose the nuance “weekly,” but the core idea stays the same.

Why isn’t there any word for “a” or “the” before haftalık bütçe?

Turkish has no articles like “a” or “the.” Definiteness or indefiniteness is usually clear from context. So you just say haftalık bütçe for “a weekly budget” or “the weekly budget,” depending on the situation.

What’s the difference between tasarruf etmek and biriktirmek? Both mean “to save,” right?

They overlap, but:
• Tasarruf etmek stresses economizing or using less (e.g. cutting expenses).
• Biriktirmek means accumulating or putting aside (often money) over time.
You might tasarruf etmek on your electricity bill, and biriktirmek money in your piggy bank.