Learn Hardcore Turkish: Toplantı sonrası herkes, proje raporundaki sistematik hataları tartıştı. - After the meeting, everyone discussed the systematic errors in the project report.

Turkish does not have articles equivalent to English the or a/an. Whether a noun is definite or indefinite is understood from context or by adding demonstratives (e.g. o toplantı “that meeting”). Here Toplantı simply means “meeting,” and we know which meeting from the broader context.

Why is there a comma after herkes?

In Turkish, you can use a comma to set off the subject or an introductory phrase for clarity or a slight pause. It’s optional here—removing it (Toplantı sonrası herkes proje…) does not change the meaning, but the comma adds rhythm or emphasis.

Is sonrası a postposition or a noun? How does it differ from sonra?

Sonra by itself is an adverb/postposition meaning “after.” When you add the possessive suffix -sı, you get sonrası, a noun meaning “its aftermath” or “what comes after.” In Toplantı sonrası, sonrası is a noun (“the aftermath of the meeting”) used adverbially to mean “after the meeting.”

Could we instead say Toplantıdan sonra? What’s the difference?

Yes. Toplantıdan sonra uses the postposition -den sonra (“after the meeting”). Toplantı sonrası is a nominalized form. Stylistically, Toplantıdan sonra is more colloquial/spoken; Toplantı sonrası feels a bit more formal or written, but the meanings are virtually the same.

How do you form raporundaki in proje raporundaki sistematik hataları?

Break it down step by step:
1) proje raporu = “project report” (noun compound).
2) Add genitive + locative + relative suffix as one block:
- -un (genitive) → raporun
- -da (locative) → raporunda “in the report”
- -ki (relative suffix) → raporundaki “that is in the report”

Why is sistematik hataları in the accusative case with -ı and plural -lar?

Hata “error” + plural -lar → hatalar “errors.” Because these specific errors are known (they’re in the report just mentioned), you mark them with the definite accusative suffix -ı → hataları. Together: “the systematic errors.”

Why does the verb tartıştı appear in third person singular when herkes means “everyone”?

Although herkes (“everyone”) refers to a group, it is grammatically singular in Turkish. Therefore it takes a third person singular verb: tartıştı “(he/she/it/one) discussed,” or in context “they (everyone) discussed.”

What is the typical word order in this sentence?

Standard Turkish order is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). Here the breakdown is:
1) Toplantı sonrası (time expression)
2) herkes (subject)
3) proje raporundaki sistematik hataları (object)
4) tartıştı (verb)
Adverbials like Toplantı sonrası often come first, and the main verb goes last.

Could we say herkes tartıştı or herkes tartışıyorlar instead of herkes tartıştı?

herkes tartıştı uses simple past (-tı): “everyone discussed” (and the discussion is finished).
herkes tartışıyor (you would not add -lar) uses present continuous: “everyone is discussing [right now].”
If you want to emphasize that it’s an ongoing discussion, use tartışıyor; to state that the discussion happened and ended, use tartıştı.