Learn Hardcore Turkish: Geç kalsak da toplantıyı bitireceğiz. - Even if we are late, we will finish the meeting.

So kalsak means “if/should we [be late].” In this construction, because of geç kalmak, it’s “if we are late.” With da, it takes a concessive reading: “even if.”

What is the da doing here? Is it the same as the locative -da/-de?

Here da/de is the clitic conjunction meaning “though/even if,” not the locative case. It’s written as a separate word and is unstressed: kalsak da. By vowel harmony, it appears as da after a back vowel (as in kalsak); after a front vowel it would be de. It follows the conditional clause to give the sense “even if ...”

Can I use bile instead of da?

Yes: Geç kalsak bile toplantıyı bitireceğiz. Both mean “even if,” but:

bile tends to sound a bit stronger/more emphatic (“even”).
... sa da is very common and slightly milder. You can also combine with yine de in the main clause for extra emphasis: Geç kalsak bile, yine de bitireceğiz.

Why is it kalsak and not kalırsak?

Both are grammatical with da:

kalsak (da): “if we were to be [late],” often a bit more hypothetical or concessive-sounding, and very idiomatic in this pattern.
kalırsak (da): more “real/neutral” conditional (“if we are late”).
In many everyday contexts the nuance is small; both are understood as “even if we are late.”

Does geç kalmak mean “to stay late”?

No. Geç kalmak is an idiom meaning “to be late” (for something). Although kalmak alone is “to stay/remain,” the combination geç kal- is fixed and means “be late.”

Can geç come after the verb? Why not kalsak geç?

No. Adverbs like geç normally precede the verb, and geç kalmak is a fixed verb phrase. So you say geç kalsak, not kalsak geç.

Why is there a -y- in toplantıyı?

It’s a buffer consonant inserted to prevent two vowels from crashing. toplantı + accusative -ı would create toplantıı, so Turkish inserts -y-: toplantı-y-ı → toplantıyı. The accusative vowel -ı/i/u/ü follows vowel harmony; here it’s -ı.

Why is toplantı accusative (toplantıyı)?

Because it’s a definite/specific direct object (“the meeting”). In Turkish, definite direct objects take accusative. Without it, you’d imply an indefinite object (“a meeting”) and would usually mark that with bir: bir toplantı bitireceğiz (“we will finish a meeting”), which is a different meaning.

How is bitireceğiz built, and how do you pronounce the ğ?

bitir- = “to finish [something]” (causative of bitmek, “to end”)
-ecek = future
-iz = 1st person plural
When -ecek meets a vowel-initial personal ending, the k softens to ğ: -ecek + -iz → -eceğiz. The ğ lengthens/smooths the preceding vowel; it’s not a hard “g.” Pronounce roughly “bi-ti-re-jeez.”

Could I say bitiririz instead of bitireceğiz?

Yes, but the nuance shifts:

bitireceğiz (future) = a plan/decision or confident promise (“we will finish”).
bitiririz (aorist) = confident general ability/likelihood (“we’ll manage/we can finish”), slightly less about a set plan, more about assurance.

Is there another way to say “even though,” like with rağmen?

Yes: Geç kalmamıza rağmen toplantıyı bitireceğiz.
Here geç kal-mam-ız-a is a verbal noun with the dative case (“despite our being late”). -rağmen is a bit more formal/literary; ...sa da is very common in speech.

Why is the person marker -k in kalsak, but -iz in bitireceğiz?

Different moods/tenses use different personal endings:

Conditional -(sA) takes the “old” set where 1st person plural is -k → kal-sa-k.
Future -ecek takes the regular personal endings where 1st person plural is -iz → bitir-ecek-iz → bitireceğiz.