Learn Hardcore Turkish: Siz çalar saati kurana kadar biz yemek yapıp masayı hazırlayalım. - Until you set the alarm clock, let’s cook and set the table.

Here, kadar means until. It’s a postposition that follows a word/phrase in the dative case. So kurana kadar = “until (the act of) setting (it).”

How is kurana kadar formed?

Morphology:

kur- = set
-an = present participle (“the one who sets” / “setting”)
-a = dative case
kadar = until Together: kur-an-a kadar = “until (the) setting.” The subject of this participle is supplied by context/pronouns (here, siz).

Can I say kuruncaya kadar instead? Is there a difference from -ene kadar?

Yes: Siz çalar saati kuruncaya kadar is also correct and means the same thing. Two common patterns:

-ene kadar (present participle -en + dative): e.g., gelene kadar
-inceye/-ıncaya kadar (converb -ince + dative): e.g., kuruncaya kadar They’re interchangeable in meaning (“until …”). You may also see dek/değin instead of kadar.

Why is it çalar saati (accusative) and not çalar saat?

Because the object is definite/specific (“the alarm clock”). In Turkish, definite direct objects take -(y)i:

çalar saat (alarm clock, general)
çalar saati (the alarm clock, specific) Spelling note: saat + -(y)i → saati (no buffer y because the word ends in a consonant).

Why does yemek have no -i, but masayı does?

yemek yapmak is a set expression meaning “to cook (food)” with an indefinite object, so no accusative.
masayı is masa + -(y)ı, accusative for a specific table (“the table”), because hazırlamak takes a direct object. You could say yemeği yapıp if you meant a specific meal.

What does the -ıp in yapıp do? Why not use ve?

-Ip is a converb meaning “and (then)/by doing,” used to chain actions with the same subject and share tense/mood with the final verb:

yemek yapıp masayı hazırlayalım ≈ “let’s make the food and set the table.” You can use ve: yemek yapalım ve masayı hazırlayalım, but -Ip is more compact and natural here. Allomorphs: -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp.

Exactly what does hazırlayalım express?

It’s the 1st person plural volitional/imperative: “let’s prepare/set.” Form: hazırla- + -alım (buffer y: hazırlayalım). It proposes an action for “us” to do.

Can I drop the pronouns or change the order?

Yes. Pronouns are often dropped if clear:

Çalar saati kurana kadar yemek yapıp masayı hazırlayalım. Including siz … biz … emphasizes the division of labor. You can also switch clauses:
Biz yemek yapıp masayı hazırlayalım, siz çalar saati kurana kadar. Time clauses commonly come first, but both orders are acceptable.

Do I need a comma after kadar?

It’s optional but common: Siz çalar saati kurana kadar, biz… Many writers insert a comma to separate the adverbial clause from the main clause.

What exactly is çalar saat? Why çalar and not something else?

Çalar saat = “alarm clock.” Çalar is the aorist of çalmak (“to ring; to play an instrument; to steal” in other contexts) used adjectivally to indicate function: “a clock that rings (by design).” Contrast:

çalan saat = “the clock that is ringing (right now)” (present participle, ongoing).

Could we use -ken instead (e.g., kurarken)?

-ken means while: Siz çalar saati kurarken… = “While you are setting the alarm clock…” That indicates simultaneity, not a boundary. …kurana kadar marks an endpoint (“until you have set it”).

Where are subject and tense in kurana? Why no personal ending?

With the -An participle, the verb becomes a noun/adjective and doesn’t carry person or tense. The subject is provided externally (siz), and time comes from kadar and context. You don’t add personal endings to kurana.

Why is it kurana (with -a), but gelene (with -e) in other sentences?

Dative -a/-e follows vowel harmony:

Back vowels → -a: kur-an-a
Front vowels → -e: gel-en-e

What are the buffer letters I see (y in masayı, hazırlayalım)?

When a vowel-initial suffix attaches to a vowel-final stem, Turkish inserts a buffer letter, usually y:

masa + -(y)ı → masayı
hazırla- + -alım → hazırlayalım No buffer needed if the stem ends in a consonant: saat + -(y)i → saati (no y).

Is masayı hazırlamak the most idiomatic way to say “set the table”?

Both are common:

masayı kurmak = the most idiomatic “set the table”
masayı hazırlamak = “prepare the table,” also natural Your sentence is fine as-is; you could also say … masayı kuralım.

What level of politeness does siz add? Could I use sen?

Siz is either plural “you” or polite singular. Sen is informal singular. You can say Sen çalar saati kurana kadar… if you’re speaking informally to one person. Nothing else in the clause needs to change.

Does this imply completion by the time the alarm is set?

Yes. X-ene kadar, Y-(y)alım naturally implies that Y will be done by the time X is completed (a “by the time …, let’s have …” reading).

How would I say “unless you set the alarm”?

Use:

çalar saati kurmazsan = “if you don’t set the alarm / unless you set the alarm”
çalar saati kurmadıkça = “unless/so long as you don’t set the alarm” Don’t use a negative with kadar for “unless.”