Learn Hardcore Turkish: Tabureyi mutfağa koydum, büyük ihtimalle orada daha işime yarar. - I put the stool in the kitchen; it will most likely be more useful there.

In Turkish, a specific/definite direct object takes the accusative -(y)I. Tabureyi means “the stool.”
Form: tabure + (y)I → tabureyi. The buffer y appears because the noun ends with a vowel.
If you mean an indefinite object (“a stool”), you’d say Mutfağa bir tabure koydum. Bare tabure without the accusative usually sounds indefinite/generic: Mutfağa tabure koydum (“I put a stool/stools in the kitchen”).

Why is it mutfağa (to the kitchen) and not mutfakta (in the kitchen)?

Koymak expresses placing something somewhere, so you mark the destination with the dative -A: mutfak + a → mutfağa.
Mutfakta (locative -DA) describes where the action occurs, not the goal, e.g., Mutfakta masanın üstüne koydum (“I put it onto the table in the kitchen”).
Here the idea is “into/to the kitchen,” so mutfağa is the natural choice.

Why is it written mutfağa with ğ instead of keeping k?

When a vowel-initial suffix is added, many final k sounds soften. Mutfak + a → mutfağa (k → ğ).
The letter ğ is not a hard “g”; it lengthens/smooths the preceding vowel. So mutfağa sounds like “mutfaa.”

Why is there no explicit “because” like çünkü?

Turkish often links cause and result with just a comma. The second clause gives the reason.
You can absolutely use çünkü for clarity: Tabureyi mutfağa koydum, çünkü orada daha işime yarar.
For a result-first style, you could also say: Orada daha işime yarar; o yüzden tabureyi mutfağa koydum.

Why orada (“there”) and not oraya (“to there”)?

Orada (locative) states a location or state: “be there.” The second clause is about usefulness when it is there, not about movement.
Oraya (dative) would be used with motion: “to there.” The motion already happened in the first clause.

Where is the subject “it” in the second clause?

Turkish drops pronouns when they’re contextually clear. The subject is the stool from the first clause.
You could add it for emphasis: O orada daha işime yarar, but it’s not necessary and usually omitted.

Why is the verb yarar (aorist) instead of yarayacak (future) or yarıyor (present continuous)?

The aorist in Turkish (here yarar, from yaramak) often expresses general truths, typical outcomes, and neutral predictions—especially with adverbs like büyük ihtimalle.
Nuance:
- … orada daha işime yarar = “it will (generally) be more useful there” (neutral expectation).
- … orada daha işime yarayacak = a more definite, specific future prediction.
- … orada daha işime yarıyor = “it is (currently/regularly) more useful there.”

What does işime yaramak literally mean, and how is işime formed?

Literally: “to be of use to my work/purposes,” idiomatically “to be useful to me.”
Morphology: iş + (Poss.1sg -im) + (Dative -e) → işim-e → işime.
So işime yaramak = “to benefit/be useful for me.”

Can I use işe yaramak instead of işime yaramak?

İşe yaramak means “to work / to be useful (in general).”
İşime yaramak targets the speaker: “to be useful to me / for my purposes.”
Both are fine; choose the one that matches your meaning. Here, işime matches “(for) me.”

Is the placement of daha fixed? Can I say orada işime daha yarar?

Both Orada daha işime yarar and Orada işime daha yarar are natural. Word order slightly shifts emphasis:
- Before işime puts a bit more focus on the comparative idea overall.
- Before yarar focuses the comparison on the predicate.
Avoid Daha orada… here; it can sound odd or be read differently.

What about daha çok or daha fazla?

Daha alone already makes a comparative with yaramak: daha … yarar = “be more useful.”
Daha çok/fazla emphasize quantity/degree: Orada daha çok işime yarar ≈ “It helps me more / to a greater extent there.”
All are acceptable; daha işime yarar is succinct and idiomatic.

Why does tabureyi have a y before the accusative?

It’s the buffer consonant to prevent two vowels from colliding: tabure + (y)I → tabureyi.
Choice of -i/-ı/-u/-ü follows vowel harmony; after e you get -i.

Can I change the word order in the first clause?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible for emphasis:
- Tabureyi mutfağa koydum (neutral; object and destination before the verb).
- Mutfağa tabureyi koydum (slight emphasis on the destination).
- Tabureyi mutfağa ben koydum (emphasizes “I”).
The element right before the verb is the main focus.

Do I need to say Ben?

No. The verb ending -dum already encodes first person singular. Ben tabureyi… is used only for emphasis or contrast.

Are there alternatives to büyük ihtimalle?

Common options, from stronger to softer:
- Büyük olasılıkla / Muhtemelen = probably.
- Herhalde / Galiba = I suppose/it seems.
- Sanırım = I think/I guess.
All can replace büyük ihtimalle with small nuance shifts.

Is büyük bir ihtimalle also correct?

Yes. Büyük ihtimalle is a set phrase; büyük bir ihtimalle is also used and can feel a touch more explicit (“with a great probability”). Both mean “most likely.”