Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sabah filtre kahve demledim, kardeşim de süt ekledi. - I brewed filter coffee in the morning, and my sibling added milk.

It’s the simple past suffix -di plus the first-person singular ending -m: demle- + -di + -m → demledim = “I brewed.” The vowel in -di follows vowel harmony, so it appears as -di/-dı/-dü/-du depending on the stem.

Why is there no accusative on filtre kahve (why not filtre kahveyi)?

Because the object is indefinite/non-specific. In Turkish:

Indefinite object: no accusative → Filtre kahve demledim. (“I brewed filter coffee.”)
Definite/specific object: accusative → Filtre kahveyi demledim. (“I brewed the filter coffee.”)

What is the function of de after kardeşim? Is it the same as the locative?

Here de/da is the separate clitic meaning “also/too,” written as a separate word: kardeşim de = “my sibling also.” It is not the locative suffix -de/-da (“in/on/at”), which attaches to the noun: kardeşimde = “at/on my sibling; my sibling has.”

How do I choose de vs da, and why don’t I see te/ta?

For the clitic meaning “also,” use vowel harmony based on the last vowel of the preceding word:

Front vowel (e, i, ö, ü) → de (e.g., kardeşim de, annem de)
Back vowel (a, ı, o, u) → da (e.g., babam da, komşum da) It never turns into te/ta. Only the locative suffix -de/-da can devoice to -te/-ta after a voiceless consonant (e.g., parkta).

Where should de go? Does its position change the meaning?

Yes. de/da clings to the word in focus:

Kardeşim de süt ekledi. = “My sibling also added milk” (someone else added milk too).
Kardeşim süt de ekledi. = “My sibling added milk too” (in addition to something else).
Kardeşim sütü de ekledi. = “My sibling also added the milk” (definite milk, among multiple items).

Shouldn’t it be kahveye süt ekledi? Why is the dative missing?

Eklemek normally takes a goal with the dative: “X’i Y’ye eklemek” (add X to Y). The sentence omits the goal because it’s understood. You can make it explicit:

Kardeşim de kahveye süt ekledi. If the milk is definite, mark it: Sütü kahveye ekledi.

Why use demlemek for coffee? Could I say yapmak or pişirmek?

demlemek = brew/steep; natural for tea and methods like filter/pour-over coffee: filtre kahve demlemek, çay demlemek.
pişirmek = cook; common with Türk kahvesi (heated in a pot).
yapmak/hazırlamak = make/prepare; neutral, usable in many contexts.

What does Sabah imply here—“this morning” or “in the mornings”?

With the simple past (-di), Sabah ... demledim usually means “this morning I brewed.” For habitual actions, use sabahları plus the aorist:

Sabahları filtre kahve demlerim. To be explicit about today, say Bu sabah.

Why are the pronouns missing? Should it be Ben …, o da …?

Turkish is pro-drop: verb endings show the subject. Ben/o are added only for emphasis/contrast:

Ben sabah filtre kahve demledim, o da süt ekledi. (emphasizing who did what)

Does kardeşim mean “my brother” or “my sister”?

It means “my sibling” (unspecified gender). To specify:

erkek kardeşim = my brother (usually younger or unspecified age)
kız kardeşim = my sister For older siblings: abim/ağabeyim (older brother), ablam (older sister).

Is the comma necessary? Could I use ve?

The comma neatly separates two independent clauses. You can use ve:

Sabah filtre kahve demledim ve kardeşim süt ekledi. Using de without ve is very idiomatic to mean “also,” highlighting addition: …, kardeşim de …

How does word order work here?

Default is subject–object–verb, with time adverbials often at the start:

Sabah (time) filtre kahve (object) demledim (verb);
kardeşim (subject) de süt (object) ekledi (verb). You can move elements for emphasis, but the verb usually stays last.

Pronunciation tips for special letters here?

ş = “sh” (English “she”): kardeşim → kar-deh-shim
ü = German “ü”/French “u”: süt → roughly “syoot” Note the dotted/undotted i distinction in Turkish: i and ı are different letters.

Why ekledi (3sg) but demledim (1sg)? How are persons marked in the past?

With the simple past -di:

1sg: -dim/-dım/-düm/-dum → demledim
3sg: no personal ending (zero) → ekledi So the endings themselves show who did the action.

Could I use the -miş past instead of -di?

Yes, but it changes the nuance. -miş often expresses hearsay, inference, or surprise:

Sabah filtre kahve demlemişim. = “Apparently I brewed filter coffee this morning.” (just realized/heard) For a witnessed, straightforward past action, -di is the right choice.

Why no article with süt? How do I say “some milk” or “the milk”?

Turkish has no articles. Bare süt is usually indefinite/mass. To specify:

“some milk” → biraz süt
“the milk” (as object) → accusative: sütü ekledi

Is filtre kahve a compound? Why not filtre kahvesi?

Filtre is used attributively (like an adjective) before kahve, so no suffix is needed: filtre kahve = filter coffee. Filtre kahvesi is a possessed form, used in contexts like kafenin filtre kahvesi (“the café’s filter coffee”).

Do I need to repeat Sabah in the second clause?

No. The first time expression sets the time for the whole coordinated sentence by default. Add a new time phrase in the second clause only if the time changes.

What’s the difference again between kardeşim de and kardeşimde?

kardeşim de (separate): “my sibling also.”
kardeşimde (attached locative): “at/on my sibling; my sibling has.” Example: Kardeşimde süt var. (“My sibling has milk.”)