Learn Hardcore Turkish: Alıcı paketi teslim alır almaz içindekileri kontrol etti. - As soon as the recipient received the package, they checked its contents.

teslim almak is a fixed verb phrase meaning “to take delivery of” or “to officially receive” something (like a package or letter). While almak alone also means “to take” or “receive,” teslim almak emphasizes the formal handover by a courier or postal service.

What does alır almaz mean?

alır almaz is an idiomatic conjunction meaning “as soon as”. It’s formed from the aorist tense of almak (alır = “he/she receives”) plus the negative suffix -maz, which here doesn’t negate the meaning but creates the “as soon as” link between two actions.

Why is the first verb in the subordinate clause in the present aorist (alır) but the main verb (kontrol etti) in the simple past?

Time-conjunction forms like alır almaz always use the aorist tense for the subordinate clause, regardless of when the action happened. The main clause verb (kontrol etti) is in the past tense because the checking occurred in the past relative to the context.

Why is there a negative suffix -maz in alır almaz? Doesn’t it make the sentence negative?

In this structure, the suffix -maz is part of the fixed expression alır almaz and does not create a negative meaning. Together they simply mean “as soon as (he/she) receives.”

Could I rephrase alır almaz using -dikten sonra? How would that look?

Yes. You can say: Paketi teslim aldıktan sonra içindekileri kontrol etti.
Here teslim aldıktan sonra (“after receiving delivery”) uses the past participle form -dikten sonra to mean “after.”

Why is paketi marked with the accusative suffix as paketi?

In Turkish, when a noun is definite (a specific package you know about), you add the accusative suffix –i. Since it’s a particular package the recipient expects, paket → paketi.

What does içindekileri mean, and how is the word formed?

içindekileri = “the things inside (it)” or “its contents.” It breaks down as:
• içinde = “inside”
• -ki = relative suffix, “which is in”
• -ler = plural
• -i = accusative (definite object)
So it literally means “the ones inside (it)” in the definite accusative.

Why are there no pronouns like “he” or “she” in the Turkish sentence?

Turkish omits subject pronouns because the verb endings already indicate person and number. alır, almaz, and etti all have third-person-singular endings, so an explicit “o” (he/she/it) is unnecessary.

Can I say Paketi alır almaz instead of Paketi teslim alır almaz?

Yes. Paketi alır almaz içindekileri kontrol etti also means “As soon as he/she got the package, he/she checked its contents.” Using teslim almak simply highlights the formal act of taking delivery.