Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sandalet ıslanınca yürümek zor oluyor. - Walking is difficult when the sandal gets wet.

-ınca is a temporal converb suffix meaning “when” or “once.” You take the verb stem ıslan- (to get wet) and add -ınca using vowel harmony: ıslan + ı + nca → ıslanınca (“when it gets wet”). It turns the verb into a subordinate clause: “when (one’s) sandals get wet …”

Could you use another suffix like -ken instead of -ınca? What’s the difference?

Yes, you could say ıslanırken, but that means “while getting wet,” emphasizing an ongoing process. -ınca means “as soon as” or “when (the action is completed).”
• ıslanırken yürümek zor oluyor = “Walking is hard while you’re getting wet” (more simultaneous).
• ıslanınca yürümek zor oluyor = “Walking is hard once they’re wet” (after they’ve gotten wet).

Why is yürümek in its infinitive form here?

In Turkish, an infinitive verb (ending in -mek/-mak) can act as the subject of a sentence. Here yürümek (“walking”) is the thing that “becomes hard.” The structure is: [Infinitive subject] + zor oluyor (“becomes difficult”).

Why is there no article before sandalet (“sandal”)?

Turkish doesn’t use an indefinite article like English “a” or “an.” A noun in its bare form can be indefinite or generic. Here sandalet just means “(a) sandal” or “sandals” in general.

Could we say sandaletler ıslanınca instead of sandalet ıslanınca?

Yes. Sandaletler ıslanınca yürümek zor oluyor (“When sandals get wet, walking becomes difficult”) is perfectly natural. Plural -ler makes it explicitly “sandals,” but both singular-generic and plural are acceptable for general statements.

What does zor oluyor literally mean, and why use olmak here?

Zor is an adjective meaning “hard” or “difficult,” and olmak means “to become” or “to be.” Together zor oluyor = “it becomes difficult” or simply “it’s hard.” We need olmak because adjectives can’t stand alone to express “becoming X” in Turkish without a linking verb.

Why is the verb oluyor in the present tense? Can I change the tense?

Oluyor is the simple present/progressive form of olmak and indicates a general truth or regular outcome. You could change it to past: zor oldu (“it became difficult”) or future: zor olacak (“it will be difficult”), depending on the context.

What is the overall word order in this sentence?

Turkish is typically Subject-Object-Verb, but impersonal constructions often start with circumstantial or topical elements. Here:
1) Sandalet ıslanınca (time clause)
2) yürümek (infinitive subject)
3) zor oluyor (predicate)

Are there other ways to express “when” with “ıslanmak”?

Yes. You could use:
• ıslanınca (as soon as)
• ıslandığında (when; with -dığında)
• ıslanınca and ıslandığında are largely interchangeable, though -ınca can sound a bit more immediate.