Learn Hardcore Turkish: Covid-19 sürecinde insanlar evde kaldı. - People stayed at home during the Covid-19 period.

Breakdown: süreç + -in + -de. -in is the genitive case suffix (“of the process”) and -de is the locative/time-case suffix (“in/during”). Together, sürecinde means “in the course of” or “during the process.”

What does -de in evde mean, and why is it -de not -te?

-de / -da is the locative case suffix meaning “in/at.” Because ev ends in the voiced consonant v, consonant harmony selects -de. After voiceless consonants (p, ç, t, k, f, h, s, ş) you would get -te / -ta.

Why is the verb kaldı in the third-person singular, even though insanlar is plural? Shouldn't it be kaldılar?

Turkish verbs agree with person, but the plural suffix on the verb is optional when the subject’s plurality is already clear or the statement is general. insanlar evde kaldı reads “People stayed at home” in a generic sense. You can say insanlar evde kaldılar to stress each individual, but kaldı is more neutral.

Why is there no article like the or a before insanlar?

Turkish does not use articles (the / a / an). Nouns appear without articles, and definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context or other markers.