Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kesin saat on birde orada olacağım. - I will definitely be there at eleven o’clock.

Turkish marks the subject on the verb. The ending in olacağım already means “I will (be).” Adding ben is optional and used for emphasis/contrast:

Ben kesin saat on birde orada olacağım. (emphasizes that it’s me, not someone else)

How is olacağım formed?

Breakdown:

Root: ol- (“to be, to become”)
Future: -AcAK → olacak
1st person singular: -(y)Im → olacak + ım
Sound change: k → ğ before a vowel → olacağım

Other persons:

olacaksın (you will be), olacak (he/she/it will be), olacağız, olacaksınız, olacaklar.

Colloquial reductions you’ll hear: olcam/olucam (informal speech).

Why is it orada and not oraya?

Olmak (“to be”) takes the locative case (being AT a place), so you say orada (“there, at that place”). Use -ya/-a (dative, “to”) with motion verbs:

Oraya gideceğim. (I will go there.)
Orada olacağım. (I will be there.)

Why do we say saat on birde with -de? How does the time suffix work?

To say “at [time],” Turkish uses the locative -DA. Its form depends on the last vowel and consonant of the word it attaches to:

Vowel harmony: after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) use -de; after back vowels (a, ı, o, u) use -da.
Consonant voicing: after a voiceless consonant (p, ç, t, k, f, h, s, ş), d becomes t → -te/-ta.

Examples:

saat on birde (ends in bir → front vowel i, voiced r → -de)
saat üçte (ç is voiceless → -te)
saat altıda (a is back vowel → -da)
saat iki de / ikide (you’ll usually see it joined to the numeral: ikide)

Why does the suffix attach to bir (in on birde) and not to saat?

Case suffixes attach to the last word of the noun phrase. Saat on bir is one phrase, so the suffix goes on bir:

Correct: saat on birde
Not: saatte on bir (this would mean something like “in the hour, eleven,” which is not how time is said)

Note: saatte is used for “per hour” (e.g., saatte 60 kilometre = 60 km per hour).

Is on birde the same as on bir de (“eleven, and also…”)? How do I avoid confusion?

They’re different:

on birde (one word with suffix) = “at eleven.”
on bir de (separate) = “eleven, and also … / plus one more …”

Context usually makes it clear. Including saat helps: saat on birde. With digits, write 11'de, which is unambiguous.

Could I say this with the aorist (olurum) instead of the future (olacağım)?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

Kesin … olacağım = a firm plan/promise; very definite.
Kesin … olurum = still confident, but can feel a shade less like a solemn promise and more like “I should be / I can make it.”

Both are natural; -ecek/-acak is the stronger personal commitment.

How do I make it negative or a question?

Negative: Kesin saat on birde orada olmayacağım. (“I definitely won’t be there at 11.”)
Yes/no question (2nd person): Saat on birde orada olacak mısın? (“Will you be there at 11?”)
Yes/no question (1st person): Saat on birde orada olacak mıyım?

Note the question particle mi/mı/mu/mü is written separately and carries the personal ending in simple tenses.

Can I move kesin around? What word orders are natural?

Turkish word order is flexible. Common, natural options:

Kesin saat on birde orada olacağım. (fronted certainty)
Saat on birde kesin orada olacağım. (certainty right before the verb phrase)
Saat on birde orada olacağım, kesin. (afterthought/confirmation)

All mean the same, with slight differences in emphasis. Time → place → verb is a frequent flow.

Do I need saat? Can I just say On birde?

You can drop saat: On birde orada olacağım. It’s still clear.

Be careful with on birinde (with an extra -in-): that means “on the 11th (day of the month).” For dates, you’ll also see:

ayın on birinde = on the 11th of the month
With digits: 11'inde

Any pronunciation tips (especially saat and olacağım)?

saat has two syllables: sa-at (often with a slight break).
In olacağım, the letter ğ lengthens the preceding vowel; it’s not a hard “g.” It sounds like “ola-jaaam.”
Kesin is two syllables (ke-sin). Turkish generally stresses the last syllable of words; in olacağım, the stress is on -cağım.

How do I write it if I use digits for the time?

Attach the suffix with an apostrophe to numerals:

11'de = at eleven So: Kesin 11'de orada olacağım. With words (e.g., on birde) you don’t use an apostrophe.

Is there any difference between kesin, kesinlikle, and mutlaka here?

kesin: “definitely/for sure.” Very common in speech; slightly more casual.
kesinlikle: “definitely/absolutely.” More formal/emphatic; can stand alone (“Absolutely.”).
mutlaka: “without fail/by all means.” Emphasizes obligation/assurance of happening.

All fit this sentence; pick based on tone:

Mutlaka saat on birde orada olacağım. (I’ll be there without fail.)

Is it okay to say olcam/olucam instead of olacağım?

In casual speech, many people say/write olcam or olucam. They’re informal reductions of olacağım. Use them in texts/chats or very informal contexts; in standard writing or careful speech, prefer olacağım.