Learn Hardcore Turkish: Ben geleli iki ay oldu, şehir yavaş yavaş tanıdık geliyor. - It’s been two months since I came; the city is slowly becoming familiar.

It’s a temporal converb meaning since (someone) did X.
Formation: verb stem + -(y)eli/-(y)alı (vowel harmony; insert buffer y if the stem ends in a vowel).
- gel- → geleli, git- → gideli, başla- → başlayalı, taşın- → taşınalı.
It does not take person endings; you show who did the action outside the converb (with a pronoun or noun).

Why do we say ... iki ay oldu after geleli?

oldu (past of olmak) states that a span of time has elapsed: It has been two months.
Pattern: [Subject] + [V-(y)eli/-(y)alı] + [time period] + oldu.
- Ben geleli iki ay oldu. = It’s been two months since I came.

Could I use geldiğimden beri instead of geleli?

You can, but the idiomatic, compact way to count elapsed time is with -(y)eli/-(y)alı + oldu.
geldiğimden beri more often introduces what has been happening since then:
- Geldiğimden beri çok şey öğrendim.
If you still want to count time with “since,” use: Geldiğimden beri/bu yana iki ay geçti.

Why is Ben included? Can I drop it?

Can I say Benim geleli like with other subordinate clauses?

No. With -(y)eli/-(y)alı, you don’t use a genitive subject. Say Ben/Ayşe/Onlar geleli..., not Benim geleli....

Why use oldu and not oluyor or olmuş?

oldu: a completed span has elapsed up to now (neutral, most common).
oluyor: “it’s (about) two months now,” often with a “now-ish/approximately” feel (e.g., Ben geleli iki ay oluyor bugün).
olmuş: hearsay or surprise/discovery: “Apparently it’s been two months,” or “Wow, it’s already been two months.”

Is Ben geleli iki ay var correct?

Not for “since.” … iki ay var means “there are two months left until …”
- Tatile iki ay var. = There are two months until the vacation.
For “It’s been two months since…,” use oldu (or geçti).

Can I say Ben geleli iki ay geçti?

Yes. It’s grammatical and idiomatic. It highlights the passing of time a bit more than oldu. Both are fine.

In şehir … tanıdık geliyor, why is gelmek used? Doesn’t it mean “to come”?

Here gelmek means to feel/seem (to someone). Common patterns:
- kulağa hoş geliyor (sounds nice), mantıklı geliyor (seems logical), garip geliyor (feels odd), tanıdık geliyor (feels familiar).
It often takes a dative experiencer (bana/ona…).

Should there be a bana (to me) in the second clause?

You can include it: Bana şehir yavaş yavaş tanıdık geliyor.
It’s often omitted when obvious from context; the first clause establishes the speaker, so bana is understood.

Why is it şehir, not şehri or şehre?

şehir is the subject of geliyor in the “seems/feels” sense.
şehre (dative) would be for the literal “come to the city,” which isn’t the meaning here.
şehri (accusative) marks a definite direct object; there’s no direct object here. Compare: Şehri tanıyorum. (I know the city.)

What does yavaş yavaş add? Are there alternatives?

yavaş yavaş (literally “slow slow”) means gradually, little by little.
Alternatives: gittikçe (increasingly), yavaşça (slowly/gently), adım adım (step by step). Here, yavaş yavaş is the most natural.

Is the comma necessary? Could I use ve?

The comma just separates two related clauses and is common here.
ve is possible but slightly heavier: Ben geleli iki ay oldu ve şehir yavaş yavaş tanıdık geliyor. The comma alone often reads more naturally because the second clause is a comment/result.

Can I rearrange the word order?

Yes. Turkish is flexible. For example:
- Geleli iki ay oldu (ben).
- İki ay oldu ben geleli.
- Şehir bana yavaş yavaş tanıdık geliyor.
- Bana şehir yavaş yavaş tanıdık geliyor.
The core meaning stays; only emphasis shifts.

Is tanıdık an adjective or a noun here?

It’s an adjective meaning familiar.
As a noun, tanıdık means an acquaintance (e.g., Bir tanıdık aradı.). Context makes it clear.

How is this different from saying Şehre alışıyorum?

Şehir (bana) tanıdık geliyor: the city feels/seems familiar to me (perception).
Şehre alışıyorum: I am getting used to the city (process of adaptation).
Both can be true simultaneously; they highlight different angles.

How do I say “It’s been two months since I last came” (negative idea)?

Negate before -(y)eli/-(y)alı: Buraya gelmeyeli iki ay oldu. (I haven’t come here for two months / It’s been two months since I last came.)

Does -(y)eli/-(y)alı show who did the action?

No. It doesn’t carry person marking. You specify the subject externally:
- Ben/Ayşe/Onlar geleli… oldu.
- Or omit it if context makes it clear: Geleli iki ay oldu.

What are some natural rephrasings of the whole sentence?