Learn Hardcore Turkish: Taksitle almak istiyoruz; on iki taksit bize uygun görünüyor. - We want to buy it in installments; twelve installments seem suitable for us.

-le/-la is the bound form of ile (“with/by/using”). Attached to taksit, it gives taksitle “by installments,” functioning adverbially to modify almak. It follows vowel harmony and is written as one word (compare: kredi kartıyla ödemek “to pay by credit card”).

Contrast with taksitli: -li/-lı makes adjectives (“with installments”) used before nouns, e.g., taksitli satış “installment sale.” After a verb, taksitle almak is the natural choice; taksitli almak is uncommon.

Why is almak in the -mak form?

With istemek, the wanted action is normally the bare infinitive -mek/-mak: almak istiyoruz, gitmek istiyorum. You may also hear the nominalized form with accusative, almayı istiyoruz; it’s grammatical but heavier and places a bit more focus on the action as an object.

Should I say almak or satın almak here?

Both work. almak often means “to buy” in shopping contexts; satın almak explicitly means “to purchase (by paying).” Taksitle almak is very common; taksitle satın almak is a bit more formal/emphatic.

Why use istiyoruz instead of isteriz (or isterdik)?

istiyoruz (-yor) = a current, concrete intention: “we want (now).”
isteriz (aorist) = general preference or a polite/softer statement; can sound hypothetical.
isterdik (conditional past) = “we would like,” very polite/softened. In a store, … almak istiyoruz is straightforward; … almak isterdik sounds extra polite.

Why is it bize, and how is that different from bizim için, bize göre, or bizce?

bize is dative (“to/for us”). With uygun, bize uygun means “suitable for us” in terms of our situation/needs.

bizim için (uygun) ≈ “for us” (practical suitability), close to bize uygun.
bize göre = “according to us/as far as we’re concerned” (criterion/opinion).
bizce = “in our opinion” (explicit opinion, not necessarily about suitability).

What does görünüyor add? Could I just say … bize uygun?

görünmek means “to seem/appear.” … uygun görünüyor softens it (“it seems suitable”); … bize uygun is stronger (“it is suitable”). To hedge even more, you can say … uygun gibi (görünüyor).

Is the word order fixed? Where can I put bize?

Word order is flexible, with focus near the verb:

On iki taksit bize uygun görünüyor. (neutral)
Bize on iki taksit uygun görünüyor. (foregrounds “for us”)
On iki taksit uygun görünüyor bize. (postposed bize for emphasis in speech) No comma is needed within these clauses.

Why is it on iki taksit, not on iki taksitler?

After cardinal numbers, Turkish keeps the noun in singular: iki kitap, üç ay, on iki taksit. Also, as the (indefinite) subject of görünüyor, it appears bare. For ordinals, use on ikinci taksit (“the twelfth installment”).

What is the role of the semicolon here? Could I connect the clauses differently?

The semicolon links two closely related independent clauses. Alternatives:

Reason: Taksitle almak istiyoruz, çünkü on iki taksit bize uygun görünüyor.
Consequence: On iki taksit bize uygun görünüyor; bu yüzden taksitle almak istiyoruz. A period would also work; a comma alone is weak between independent clauses.

How should I write the number: on iki or 12?

Both are fine. On iki is two words; with digits, write 12 taksit (no hyphen). For ordinals, 12. taksit or on ikinci taksit.

Is taksitle almak a set phrase? Are there related expressions I should know for shopping?

Yes. Related and useful:

taksitle satmak = to sell on installments
taksitle ödemek = to pay in installments
Handy questions to a seller:
- Taksit yapıyor musunuz?
- 12 taksit mümkün mü?
- Kredi kartına 12 taksit olur mu?
- Peşin fiyatına taksit var mı?

Any quick morphology notes from this sentence?

taksit-le: instrumental/comitative suffix (vowel harmony)
al-mak: infinitive marker
istiyor-uz: stem istiyor-
- 1pl -uz
biz-e: dative of biz
görün-üyor: stem görün-
- progressive -üyor
uygun: adjective; adjectives don’t agree in number/person in Turkish