Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sıcak havada serinlemek için kolonya kullanmayı severim. - I like to use cologne to cool off in hot weather.

serinlemek means “to cool down” or “to get a bit cooler.” It’s built from the adjective serin (“cool”) plus the verb-forming suffix -le- (makes verbs from adjectives, “to become …”) and the infinitive suffix -mek.

How does the -mek için structure work?

-mek is the infinitive ending (“to …”), and için means “for” or “in order to.” Together, serinlemek için literally means “in order to cool down.”

Why is hava written as havada?

-da is the locative case suffix, meaning “in.” sıcak havada literally means “in hot weather,” indicating the circumstance or setting.

In kolonya kullanmayı severim, why is the verb kullanmak turned into kullanmayı and why isn’t kolonya in the accusative?

When you say “I like to use something,” you nominalize the whole action. kullanmak (“to use”) becomes kullanmak + -ı = kullanmayı, marking the verbal noun as the object of sevmek (“to like”). Because the entire phrase “using cologne” is the object, kolonya itself stays unmarked.

Why is severim used instead of seviyorum?

severim is the simple present/aorist form, expressing a habitual action or general preference (“I like to use cologne to cool down”). seviyorum would emphasize you’re doing it right now or that it’s a temporary action.

What is kolonya in Turkish culture, and why is it used to cool off?

kolonya is a traditional Turkish cologne with high alcohol content (60–80%), scented (often lemon or rose). Besides being a fragrant hand sanitizer, the alcohol evaporates quickly, giving a refreshing, cooling sensation on the skin—perfect for hot days.

Is the word order in this sentence fixed, or can it be changed?

Turkish word order is fairly flexible, but the most natural sequence here is:
[setting] → [purpose clause] → [object phrase] → [main verb].
Reordering (e.g. Kolonya kullanmayı sıcak havada serinlemek için severim) might be grammatically possible but sounds awkward or shifts the emphasis.