Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum.

I do laundry in the mornings.

Breakdown of Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum.

• ben: I
• sabah: morning
• çamaşır yıkamak: to do laundry

Questions & Answers about Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum.

What does the ending in yıkıyorum tell me?

It’s the present continuous in 1st person singular.

• yıka-: verb stem “to wash”
• -(I)yor: progressive/continuous marker (appears as -ıyor/-iyor/-uyor/-üyor by vowel harmony). With yıka-, it becomes -ıyor, yielding yıkıyor-.
• -um: 1st person singular ending “I”

So: yıka- + -ıyor + -um → yıkıyorum.
Other persons for reference: yıkıyorsun, yıkıyor, yıkıyoruz, yıkıyorsunuz, yıkıyorlar.

Why is Ben there? Can I drop it?

Yes, you can drop it. The personal ending in yıkıyorum already encodes “I.”

• Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum and Sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum are both fine.
  Use Ben mainly for emphasis or contrast (e.g., “I (not someone else) do it”).

Why is çamaşır singular here? Shouldn’t it be plural?

In Turkish, a general/indefinite direct object is usually left bare and often appears in the singular form, even if it’s conceptually plural or mass-like.

• çamaşır yıkıyorum = “I do laundry / I wash clothes (in general).” If you make it plural and/or mark it with accusative, you typically signal definiteness/specificity:
• çamaşırları yıkıyorum = “I’m washing the clothes/the laundry (specific).”

Do I need the accusative on çamaşır here?

No. The accusative is used for a definite/specific object. Here it’s general, so no case marking:

• Indefinite/general: çamaşır yıkıyorum
• Definite/specific: çamaşırı/çamaşırları yıkıyorum (“the laundry/the clothes”)

Note: çamaşırları can also mean “their clothes” in some contexts (possessive ambiguity). If you mean “their,” make it explicit: onların çamaşırlarını yıkıyorum.

What exactly is sabahları doing? Is the -ı accusative?

The -ları/-leri here is not accusative; it’s the distributive time marker meaning “on Xs / in the Xs (habitually).”

• sabah + lar + ı → sabahları = “in the mornings”
  Common parallels:
• akşamları “in the evenings”
• pazartesileri “on Mondays”
• hafta sonları “on weekends”

What’s the difference between sabah, sabahleyin, and sabahları?

• sabah: “morning”; often “in the morning” for a specific time when context makes it clear.
• sabahleyin: “in the morning (on that particular morning/today morning).”
• sabahları: “in the mornings” (habitual/repeated).

Compare:

• Bu sabah çamaşır yıkıyorum = this morning (specific).
• Sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum = in the mornings (as a routine).

Shouldn’t a habitual idea use the aorist (yıkarım) instead of yıkıyorum?

Both are possible but they differ in nuance:

• Sabahları çamaşır yıkarım (aorist) = a timeless or regular habit (“I typically/usually do this”).
• Sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum (present continuous) = a current routine/arrangement (“This is what I’ve been doing these days/nowadays”).

Where do time expressions like sabahları go in the sentence?

Neutral order is Subject–Time–Object–Verb:

• Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkıyorum.

You can move elements for emphasis:

• Sabahları ben çamaşır yıkıyorum (emphasis on “I”).
• Ben sabahları çamaşırı yıkıyorum (now the object is definite and emphasized).

Why not say çamaşırlar yıkıyorum for “I wash clothes”?

Indefinite direct objects normally appear as a bare singular noun: çamaşır yıkıyorum.
Using çamaşırlar as an indefinite object is ungrammatical in neutral usage. If you mark plural + accusative (çamaşırları), it becomes definite (“the clothes”).

How do I make the sentence negative?

Insert the negative -ma/-me before -(I)yor:

• Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkamıyorum.
  Breakdown: yıka- + -ma (neg) + -ıyor + -um → yıkamıyorum.

For a timeless/habitual negative, the aorist is also common:

• Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkamam (“I don’t (ever) wash clothes in the mornings”).

How do I ask a yes/no question based on this?

Use the enclitic question particle mi/mi/ mu/mü, which harmonizes and stands separate:

• Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkıyor muyum?
  Other persons: yıkıyor musun? yıkıyor mu? yıkıyor muyuz? etc.

Any pronunciation tips for yıkıyorum and çamaşır?

• ı (dotless i) is a back, unrounded vowel; think of the second vowel in “roses” for English approximation.
• ç = “ch,” ş = “sh.”
• yıkıyorum roughly “yuh-kuh-yor-um,” çamaşır roughly “cha-ma-shur.” Keep vowels short and clear.

Could I put the object after the verb, like Ben sabahları yıkıyorum çamaşır?

Not in neutral speech. Indefinite direct objects typically come immediately before the verb. Postverbal objects are possible only in marked, focus-heavy structures and can sound unnatural for beginners. Stick with … çamaşır yıkıyorum.

If I want to say “every morning,” should I still use sabahları?

You can, but her sabah is more explicit:

• Her sabah çamaşır yıkarım/yıkıyorum.
• Genelde sabahları çamaşır yıkarım also works (“generally, in the mornings…”).

Does çamaşır mean “laundry” or “clothes”? Are there synonyms?

çamaşır commonly means “laundry” (the stuff you wash). It can also refer to underwear in compounds like iç çamaşırı.
For “clothes” in general, you’ll also hear kıyafet or giysi.

• Doing laundry: çamaşır yıkamak
• Washing specific clothes: kıyafetleri/çamaşırları yıkamak (definite).

Can I say the same thing with the aorist and a time adverb for a policy-like statement?

Yes:

• Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkamam = “I don’t wash clothes in the mornings (as a rule).”
• Ben sabahları çamaşır yıkarım = “I (generally) wash clothes in the mornings.”
  Use -r aorist for general truths/rules; use -yor for current routines/arrangements.