Learn Hardcore Turkish: Form bugün geldi.

Form = “form” (the subject; a document).
bugün = “today” (a time adverb).
geldi = “came/has come” (verb: root gel- “come” + past tense -di; 3rd person singular).

So the sentence means “(The) form came today.”

Why is there no word for “the” or “a”?

Turkish has no articles like “the” or “a.” Bare nouns can be definite or indefinite depending on context. Form bugün geldi can mean either “The form came today” or “A form came today,” depending on what the speakers have in mind. If you want to make the indefiniteness explicit, you can add bir: Bugün bir form geldi (“A form came today”).

Where is the subject pronoun “it”? Why is it missing?

Turkish normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person/number. Geldi is 3rd person singular, so “he/she/it came.” You would only add o (“he/she/it”) for emphasis or clarity: O bugün geldi. For “that form,” you could say O form bugün geldi.

Can I change the word order? For example, Bugün form geldi?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible. The element immediately before the verb is in focus (emphasis).

Form bugün geldi → emphasizes “today” (It was today that the form came).
Bugün form geldi → emphasizes “form” (It was the form that came today, not something else).

Both are grammatical; choose based on what you want to highlight.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question: “Did the form arrive today?”

Use the question particle mi/mı/mü/mu, written separately:

Neutral yes/no: Form bugün geldi mi? To specifically question “today” or “form,” attach it to that word:
Form bugün mü geldi? (Was it today that it came?)
Bugün form mu geldi? (Was it the form that came today?) The particle vowel harmonizes with the preceding word’s last vowel.

How do I make it negative: “The form didn’t come today”?

Insert the negative -me/-ma before the past ending:

Form bugün gelmedi. (didn’t come) For a negative question: Form bugün gelmedi mi?

Why is it geldi and not geliyor or gelmiş?

geldi = simple past (you assert it as a known fact): “came/has come.”
geliyor = present continuous: “is coming.”
gelmiş = evidential past (hearsay/inference): “apparently/it seems (it) came.” With bugün, Form bugün gelmiş implies you learned or inferred this, not necessarily witnessed it.

What’s going on with the ending in geldi? How does vowel/consonant harmony work?

The past suffix is -di/-dı/-dü/-du (and becomes -ti/-tı/-tü/-tu after a voiceless consonant). Choice depends on the last vowel of the stem:

Front unrounded (e, i) → -di (e.g., gel-di)
Front rounded (ö, ü) → -dü
Back unrounded (a, ı) → -dı
Back rounded (o, u) → -du After a voiceless consonant, use t (e.g., git-ti).

How does the verb agree with the subject? What are the other forms?

Past tense of gel-:

geldim (I came)
geldin (you sg. came)
geldi (he/she/it came)
geldik (we came)
geldiniz (you pl./formal came)
geldiler (they came; often optional with inanimate subjects)

How do I say “The forms arrived today”?

Use the plural suffix -lar/-ler on the noun; the verb usually stays singular for inanimate subjects:

Formlar bugün geldi. Using a plural verb (geldiler) is common with human subjects; with things like forms, geldi is more typical unless you want to personify them.

If I specifically mean “a form” (indefinite), how do I say it?

Add bir:

Bugün bir form geldi. You can also say Bir form bugün geldi, but the element before the verb is in focus; choose the order that fits your emphasis.

How can I say “this/that form came today”?

Use demonstratives:

Bu form bugün geldi. (this form)
Şu form bugün geldi. (that form near you)
O form bugün geldi. (that form over there/previously mentioned)

Can I drop the noun and just say “It came today”?

Yes: Bugün geldi. Without context, it means “He/She/It came today,” so the referent must be clear from earlier conversation.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Form: like English “form,” but with a tapped/quick r.
bugün: roughly “boo-GYÜN” (the ü is like French u in “tu” or German ü).
geldi: “gel-DEE” (hard g as in “get”; i like the vowel in “machine,” but short).

Why is Form capitalized?

It’s at the start of the sentence. Otherwise, common nouns like form are written in lowercase in Turkish.

What other time words can I swap in for bugün?

Common ones:

dün (yesterday) → Form dün geldi.
yarın (tomorrow; with future) → Form yarın gelecek.
az önce (just now) → Form az önce geldi.
bu sabah (this morning) → Form bu sabah geldi.