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Questions & Answers about Toplantı saatinde başlayacak.
What does each piece of the sentence do?
- Toplantı: meeting (subject, nominative; no article in Turkish)
- saat-i-nde: saat (hour/time) + 3rd person possessive -i (its) + locative -nde (at/in/on) → at its time / at the meeting time
- başla-yacak: verb stem başla- (to start) + buffer y
- future -acak → will start Literal reading: At the meeting time, it/he/she will start.
What does the ending -inde in saatinde mean?
It’s two things stacked:
- 3rd person possessive -i on saat → saati (its hour)
- Locative case -de/-da meaning at/in/on; because the word ends in a vowel after possession, Turkish inserts a buffer n: saati + nde → saatinde So saatinde = at its hour.
Why is it -de (not -da) and why is there an n?
- -de/-da follows vowel harmony: front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) take -de; back vowels (a, ı, o, u) take -da. The last vowel before the suffix is i (front), so -de.
- The n is a buffer letter used when adding a case to a possessed noun ending in a vowel (e.g., ev-i + nde → evinde, in his/her house).
Why not just saatte? What’s the difference between saatte and saatinde?
- saatte = at the hour/on the hour (no possessor).
- saatinde = at its hour/at the scheduled hour (possessed). It often implies on time for a specific event. In this sentence, saatinde ties the time specifically to the meeting.
Does Toplantı saatinde mean “on time”?
Yes, commonly. Saying something happens saatinde implies it happens as scheduled. Synonyms:
- zamanında (on time, in time; broader)
- tam saatinde (right on the dot)
Who is the subject here? Is it omitted?
It can be read two ways: 1) The subject is the meeting itself: Toplantı ... başlayacak → The meeting will start (on time). 2) Contextual/implicit subject: Something else will start at the meeting time. Turkish often omits pronouns because the verb shows person/number, but here the noun Toplantı is present as a subject or as part of the time phrase.
Why is there no word for “the”?
Turkish has no articles like “the/a”. Definiteness is inferred from context. Toplantı can be the meeting or a meeting depending on what the speakers know.
How does the future tense work in başlayacak?
- Future suffix: -ecek/-acak (vowel harmony).
- The stem başla- ends with a vowel, so you insert buffer y: başla + y + acak → başlayacak.
- 3rd person singular has no extra personal ending: başlayacak (he/she/it will start).
How do I make it negative or a yes-no question?
- Negative: insert -ma/-me before the future: başlamayacak (will not start).
- Yes-no question: add mi/ mı/ mu/ mü (separate word, with harmony):
- Toplantı saatinde başlayacak mı?
- Negative question: Toplantı saatinde başlamayacak mı?
What are the full personal forms of the future with this verb?
- I: başlayacağım
- You (sg): başlayacaksın
- He/She/It: başlayacak
- We: başlayacağız
- You (pl): başlayacaksınız
- They: başlayacak(lar) (the plural -lar is optional in speech).
What’s the difference between başlayacak and başlayacaktır?
Adding -dır/-dir/-dur/-dür (here → -tır after a voiceless consonant) makes it more formal/certain/statement-like:
- başlayacak = will start (neutral)
- başlayacaktır = will certainly/definitely start; formal announcements often use this.
Can I move words around? Where does the time phrase go?
Turkish prefers the verb at the end, and time/place modifiers before it:
- Toplantı saatinde başlayacak (neutral)
- Kesinlikle toplantı saatinde başlayacak (emphasis on certainty)
- Toplantı saatinde kesinlikle başlayacak (emphasis on time) Fronting a phrase gives it focus; the verb usually stays last.
Why not Toplantının saatinde?
- Toplantı saati (noun–noun compound with 3sg poss) + locative → toplantı saatinde is the most natural for “at the meeting time.”
- Toplantının saati (genitive–possessive) + locative → toplantının saatinde is possible, but it highlights a specific meeting’s time more explicitly and feels heavier. In everyday speech, toplantı saatinde is preferred.
What about consonant changes like -de vs -te?
The locative can appear as -de/-da or -te/-ta. After a voiceless consonant (ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, t), you get -te/-ta.
Examples:
- saat-te (at the hour) — unpossessed form ends in voiceless t
- saat-i-nde (at its hour) — after adding -i, the word ends in a vowel, so we use -de with the buffer n.
How are i and ı pronounced here?
- i (dotted) is like English ee in see (shorter/tenser).
- ı (dotless) is a central, unrounded vowel (no direct English equivalent; think of the vowel in roses in many accents).
So Toplantı ends with ı, while saatinde has i.
Can I say Toplantı vaktinde instead of Toplantı saatinde?
Yes. vakit ≈ time/occasion. Toplantı vaktinde means at the time of the meeting. saat focuses on clock time; vakit is slightly more general or literary. Both are idiomatic here.