Learn Hardcore Turkish: O, kibar biri; konuşurken herkese gülümsüyor. - She is a polite person; she smiles at everyone while speaking.

O is the third‑person singular pronoun in Turkish and does not mark gender. It can mean “he,” “she,” or “that person,” depending on context. Turkish doesn’t have gendered pronouns; context tells you whether it’s male or female.

Is the comma after O necessary?

It’s optional. You can write O kibar biri; konuşurken herkese gülümsüyor. without the comma. Writers often add a comma after a pronoun used as a topic for a slight pause, but it’s not required.

Why say kibar biri instead of just kibar? Are both correct?

Both are correct:

O kibar. = “He/She is polite.”
O, kibar biri. = “He/She is a polite person.” Using …biri roughly corresponds to “a … kind of person,” and can sound a touch more descriptive or characterizing. It’s very common with personality adjectives.

What exactly is biri? Can I say birisi?

Biri is an indefinite pronoun meaning “someone / a person” and is widely used in predicate structures like kibar biri. Birisi is a variant; both are fine, with biri a bit more common in writing. Example: İçeride biri var. “There’s someone inside.”

Why is there a semicolon? Could I use a period or ve (“and”) instead?

The semicolon links two closely related independent clauses. You could also write:

O, kibar biri. Konuşurken herkese gülümsüyor.
O, kibar biri ve konuşurken herkese gülümsüyor. All are acceptable; the choice is stylistic.

How is konuşurken formed, and what does it literally mean?

Konuşurken means “while speaking/when (he/she) speaks.” It’s formed from the verb konuş- and the suffix -ken, typically attached to the aorist form:

konuşur + ken → konuşurken The vowel changes by harmony: -ken appears as -ırken/-urken/-erken/-arken depending on the last vowel of the verb stem. There’s also a longer variant konuşuyorken (built on the continuous stem) that’s also correct but less common unless you want to stress an ongoing action being interrupted.

Why is it herkese and not herkes or herkesi?

Because gülümsemek (“to smile”) takes the dative case: you “smile to/at” someone in Turkish.

herkes = “everyone” (base form)
herkese = “to everyone” (dative, required here)
herkesi = “everyone” (accusative, direct object) — not used with gülümsemek.

What’s the difference between gülümsemek and gülmek?

gülümsemek = “to smile” (a mild, friendly smile)
gülmek = “to laugh” (can also mean “to laugh at,” still with dative: birine gülmek)

Why is it gülümsüyor and not something like gülümseyor?

It’s the present continuous tense of gülümsemek:

Stem: gülümse-
Continuous suffix: -(I)yor For vowel‑final stems, the final vowel drops, and the inserted vowel in -(I)yor follows harmony based on the now-last vowel:
gülümse- + -(I)yor → drop final e → gülüms- + -üyor → gülümsüyor
Compare: bekle- → bekliyor, söyle- → söylüyor, anla- → anlıyor.

Can I drop the subject O?

Yes. Turkish is pro‑drop. Kibar biri; konuşurken herkese gülümsüyor. is grammatical and natural. O adds clarity or emphasis when needed.

Could I use konuştuğunda or konuştuğu zaman instead of konuşurken?

Yes:

konuşurken = “while speaking,” emphasizes simultaneity/ongoing action.
konuştuğunda / konuştuğu zaman = “when (he/she) speaks,” more event‑like or general.
All can fit here; choose based on nuance.

Can I move words around? For example, where can herkese go?

Turkish word order is flexible, but adverbials like konuşurken and case‑marked nouns like herkese often come before the verb. Natural options include:

Konuşurken herkese gülümsüyor.
Herkese konuşurken gülümsüyor. (possible but less typical) Keeping gülümsüyor at the end is standard; moving it earlier is marked.

Is O kibardır / O kibar biridir also correct? What does -dir do?

Yes. -dir is a copular suffix used for general truths, formality, or emphasis:

O kibardır. = “He/She is polite (as a general trait).”
O kibar biridir. = “He/She is a polite person (indeed).” In everyday speech, people often omit -dir unless they want that tone.

Any spelling tips for this sentence (special letters)?

Yes—Turkish diacritics matter:

ş (not s): konuşurken
ı (dotless i): appears in konuşurken and biri
ü: gülümsüyor Writing without these (e.g., “konusurken,” “gulumsuyor”) is incorrect and can hinder understanding.