Salatada sarımsak ve karabiber kullanıyorum, tadı daha derin oluyor.

to be

Breakdown of Salatada sarımsak ve karabiber kullanıyorum, tadı daha derin oluyor.

• ve: and
• kullanmak: to use
• daha: more

Questions & Answers about Salatada sarımsak ve karabiber kullanıyorum, tadı daha derin oluyor.

Why is salatada used? Could I say salataya instead?

Salatada is salata + locative -DA (allomorphs: -da/-de/-ta/-te) and means “in the salad.” It marks location.

• Salatada sarımsak ve karabiber kullanıyorum = “I use garlic and black pepper in the salad.” Salataya is dative -YA (-a/-e) and means “into/to the salad,” which fits better with verbs of adding or putting:
• Salataya sarımsak ve karabiber ekliyorum/koyuyorum = “I add/put garlic and black pepper to the salad.”

Why don’t sarımsak and karabiber take the accusative (-ı/-i)?

Indefinite direct objects in Turkish are left bare. You add accusative -(y)I only when the object is definite/specific.

• Sarımsak ve karabiber kullanıyorum = “I use garlic and black pepper (in general).”
• Sarımsağı ve karabiberi kullanıyorum = “I use the garlic and the black pepper (specific, known items).”

Could I use kullanırım instead of kullanıyorum?

Yes, but the nuance changes.

• kullanıyorum (present continuous -yor) often expresses a current or habitual tendency in everyday speech: “I (usually) use…”
• kullanırım (aorist -r) states a general rule/habit, sometimes sounding more formal or detached: “I (as a rule) use…”

What exactly does mean, and why not ?