Learn Hardcore Turkish: Ben masayı peçeteyle siliyorum. - I am wiping the table with a napkin.

Yes, you can drop it: Masayı peçeteyle siliyorum is already clear, because the verb ending -um shows the subject is I. Keeping Ben adds emphasis or contrast (It’s me who’s doing it, not someone else).

Why does masayı have -ı and a y in it?

-ı is the accusative ending that marks a definite direct object (the table).
The y is a buffer consonant used because masa ends in a vowel; you can’t attach -ı directly to a vowel-initial suffix, so you get masa + y + ı → masayı.
Vowel harmony chooses -ı (not -i/-u/-ü) because the last vowel of masa is a (a back, unrounded vowel).

How do I say “a table” instead of “the table”?

Use the bare noun (no accusative): Masa siliyorum = I’m wiping a table / some table. You can add bir to make the indefiniteness explicit: Bir masa siliyorum. If you mark accusative (masayı), it’s understood as specific/definite.

What does peçeteyle mean and why is it written that way?

It’s peçete + ile (with a napkin). When ile attaches like a suffix:

After a consonant: -le/-la (e.g., bezle).
After a vowel: -yle/-yla with a buffer y (e.g., peçete + y + le → peçeteyle). You can also write it separately as peçete ile; both are correct, but the fused form is very common.

Why is it -yle and not -yla in peçeteyle?

Vowel harmony: peçete has the front vowel e, so you pick the front variant -yle (not -yla).

How is siliyorum built?

Verb root: sil- (wipe)
Present continuous: -iyor (variant of -yor with a harmony vowel)
1st person singular: -um Putting it together: sil + iyor + um → siliyorum. The harmony vowel before -yor matches the root (i after sil-), and the personal ending harmonizes to -um after -yor.

What’s the difference between siliyorum and silerim?

siliyorum: present continuous (doing it now; also used for near-future plans).
silerim: aorist/gnomic (habitual, general truth, or promises/volition). Example: Her gün masayı peçeteyle silerim = I wipe the table with a napkin every day.

Can I move the words around?

Yes. Turkish is flexible, though the neutral order is Subject–Object–Verb. You can say:

Ben peçeteyle masayı siliyorum
Masayı ben peçeteyle siliyorum The element right before the verb is typically in focus. For example, Masayı peçeteyle ben siliyorum emphasizes that it’s specifically you doing it.

How do I make it negative?

Insert the negative -m- before the continuous: sil-miyor-um → silmiyorum. Example: Ben masayı peçeteyle silmiyorum = I’m not wiping the table with a napkin.

How do I ask a yes–no question?

Use the question particle mi/mi/ mu/mü (it’s separate and follows vowel harmony):

Masayı peçeteyle siliyor muyum? = Am I wiping the table with a napkin?

How would I say “I’m wiping it with a napkin” if we already know what “it” is?

Use the accusative object pronoun: Onu peçeteyle siliyorum (onu = it/him/her as a definite object).

Is Ben always capitalized like English I?

No. ben is only capitalized at the start of a sentence or where capitalization rules require it. Turkish doesn’t capitalize the first person singular pronoun by default.

Why is it masayı with dotless ı, but siliyorum with dotted i?

Turkish has two i’s:

i/İ (dotted i), pronounced like English ee in see.
ı/I (dotless ı), a back unrounded vowel, roughly like the a in about. Vowel harmony and the root vowels determine which one appears in suffixes.

Could I say masanın üstünü siliyorum instead?

Yes. Masanın üstünü = the table’s top/surface (genitive + accusative). It’s more explicit about wiping the surface. Masayı siliyorum is already idiomatic, but masanın üstünü is perfectly natural and sometimes clearer.

How do I make it plural (the tables)?

Definite plural object: masaları (accusative plural) → Masaları peçeteyle siliyorum = I’m wiping the tables.
Indefinite plural/generic: masalar siliyorum (rare; context-dependent). More common would be masaları siliyorum for specific tables.

Is there any difference between peçete and mendil?

Yes:

peçete: napkin, usually a paper table napkin.
mendil: handkerchief; ıslak mendil is a wet wipe. You can say ıslak mendille siliyorum if you mean a wet wipe.

Can -yor also express the near future?

Yes. -yor often covers planned/arranged near-future actions depending on context. For example, Yemekten sonra masayı peçeteyle siliyorum can mean I’m going to wipe the table after the meal.

Why not use temizliyorum instead of siliyorum?

silmek = to wipe (typically with a cloth/napkin). temizlemek = to clean (broader). Both can be correct, but silmek highlights the wiping action and the tool; temizlemek focuses on the result (making it clean).