Learn Hardcore Turkish: Güç birlikten geliyor.

Birlikten is in the ablative case, marked by the suffix -ten (which assimilates to -tan, -den, or -dan depending on vowel harmony). The ablative indicates origin or source, so birlikten literally means “from unity.”

Why is the verb geliyor placed at the end of the sentence?

Turkish has a typical Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, so the main verb usually comes last. Here:
• Güç (subject)
• birlikten (adverbial/ablative phrase = “from unity”)
• geliyor (verb = “is coming”)

Why is the present-continuous form geliyor used instead of the simple present gelir?

Turkish uses the simple present (-r as in gelir) for general truths and habits, but in spoken and idiomatic contexts, the present-continuous (-iyor) is very common—even for proverbs.
• Güç birlikten gelir sounds more formal/literal.
• Güç birlikten geliyor feels more dynamic or colloquial.

What’s the difference between birlik and birlikte?

• birlik = unity, union (a noun)
• birlikte = together (an adverb)
In birlikten, we use the noun birlik plus the ablative -ten (“from unity”), not the adverb birlikte.

Why doesn’t the final “k” in birlik soften to “ğ” before -ten?

Consonant softening (k → ğ) in Turkish happens when a root ending in k is followed by a vowel-initial suffix (e.g., varlık + ı → varlığı). Since -ten begins with a consonant (t), no softening occurs and it remains birlik-ten.

Could I say Güç birlikten gelir instead, and would it change the meaning?

Yes. Both express the same idea.
• Güç birlikten gelir (simple present) is more proverbial/formal.
• Güç birlikten geliyor (present continuous) is more colloquial or expressive, but meaning stays “Strength comes from unity.”

Are there other Turkish proverbs with a similar structure?

Yes. A very common variant is Birlikten kuvvet doğar, literally “From unity, force/power is born.”
• doğar = third-person simple present of doğmak (“to be born/arise”)
• kuvvet = another word for power/strength.
Both convey the same principle.