Bisikletli kurye paketi teslim etti.

The bicycle courier delivered the package.

Breakdown of Bisikletli kurye paketi teslim etti.

• teslim etmek: to deliver
• paket: the package
• bisikletli kurye: the bicycle courier

Questions & Answers about Bisikletli kurye paketi teslim etti.

Why is there no word for the or a before bisikletli kurye or paketi?

Turkish doesn’t use articles like English. Definiteness and indefiniteness are shown by case suffixes and context. Here, paketi has the definite accusative suffix -i, so it means “the package.” If you wanted “a package,” you’d say bir paket and drop the -i:
Bisikletli kurye bir paket teslim etti.

What is the function of -i in paketi?

It’s the definite accusative suffix, marking paketi as a specific package that was delivered. The vowel i is chosen by vowel harmony because the last vowel of paket is e.

How does vowel harmony work for suffixes like -i and -li?

Turkish suffix vowels match the last vowel of the root according to four-way harmony:
• a / ı → ı
• e / i → i
• o / u → u
• ö / ü → ü
Thus paket (last vowel e) takes -i → paketi, and bisiklet (e) takes -li → bisikletli.

What does bisikletli mean, and what role does the suffix -li play?

-li is a derivational suffix that turns a noun into an adjective meaning “with” or “having.” So bisikletli literally means “with a bicycle,” i.e. “bicycle-equipped,” describing the courier.

Why do we say bisikletli kurye instead of bisikletle kurye?

bisikletli kurye uses -li to create an adjective (“bicycle courier”). bisikletle is the instrumental case (“with a bicycle”) and would sound like the means of delivery. If you want to say “The courier delivered the package by bike,” you’d say:
Kurye paketi bisikletle teslim etti.

What is teslim etmek, and why does it appear as teslim etti?

teslim is a noun meaning “delivery” or “hand-over,” and etmek is “to do/make.” Combined as teslim etmek, it means “to deliver.” In the simple past tense, et- + -ti (past suffix) → etti, so teslim etti = “(he/she) delivered.”

Why is the past tense suffix written as -ti and why the double t in etti?

The generic past-tense suffix is -DI. After the vowel e in et-, it harmonizes to -ti. The root et- ends in t, so attaching -ti yields et-ti, written as etti (two t’s).

What is the basic word order in Turkish, and can it change here?

The default order is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV): Bisikletli kurye (S) paketi (O) teslim etti (V). You can rearrange for emphasis—e.g. Paketi bisikletli kurye teslim etti stresses paketi—but the verb usually stays at the end.

How is the subject indicated, and why doesn’t teslim etti have a “he/she” ending?

Subjects in Turkish are in the nominative case without a special suffix. In the simple past, the third-person singular verb has no extra personal ending: et-ti by itself means “he/she/it did.” If you wanted “I delivered,” you’d say teslim ettim; “you delivered” is teslim ettin, and so on.