Learn Hardcore Turkish: Önceden sinema bileti alırsak yer bulmak daha kolay olacak. - If we buy cinema tickets beforehand, finding seats will be easier.

Önceden means “beforehand,” “in advance,” or “earlier.” It comes from önce (“before”) + the adverbial suffix -den. In Turkish, adverbs are flexible in placement; at the start of the sentence önceden sets the time frame and emphasizes that the action happens ahead of time.

Why isn't there a separate word for “if” in this sentence?

Turkish expresses the conditional “if” by adding a suffix -(y)sa (or -sa after back vowels) directly to the verb. You don’t need a standalone “if.” Here, almak (to buy) + -ır- (aorist) + -sa- (conditional) + -k (1 st pl.) → alırsak = “if we buy.”

Can you break down alırsak into its components?

Certainly:
• al- : root “to buy”
• -ır- : aorist tense marker (general/habitual aspect)
• -sa- : conditional mood suffix (“if”)
• -k : 1 st person plural ending (“we”)
Putting them together: al-ır-sa-k → alırsak = “if we buy.”

Why is sinema bileti not marked with an accusative suffix?

Turkish has no articles, and you only use the accusative suffix -ı/-i/-u/-ü on a direct object when it’s definite or specific. Here, sinema bileti is indefinite (“movie ticket(s)” in general), so it remains unmarked. If you meant “the ticket,” you’d say sinema biletini.

What’s the role of yer bulmak in this sentence?

Yer bulmak (“to find a seat”) is an infinitive acting as the subject of the main clause. The sentence literally reads:
“If we buy movie tickets in advance, finding a seat will be easier.”
Here, yer bulmak = “finding a seat.”

What does daha kolay olacak literally translate to, and why use olacak?

daha = more
kolay = easy
olacak = future tense of olmak (“to be”) = will be
Literally: “will be more easy,” i.e. “will be easier.” Turkish commonly uses olmak + adjective to express that something “is/was” or “will be” that way.

Why isn’t biz (“we”) explicitly stated?

Turkish verbs encode person and number via their suffixes, so subjects are usually dropped when they’re clear from context. The -k in alırsak already tells you the subject is we. You can add biz at the start for emphasis (Biz önceden…), but it isn’t required.

Should there be a comma after alırsak?

In Turkish, placing a comma after a subordinate clause like Önceden sinema bileti alırsak, is common to aid readability, but it isn’t grammatically mandatory.

What’s the difference between alırsak and alsaydık?

alırsak = present/future conditional = “if we buy” (a real or possible future condition)
alsaydık = past unreal (counterfactual) conditional = “if we had bought” (something that didn’t happen)
You use alırsak here because you’re talking about a future possibility, not a past hypothetical.