Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sarımsağı rendeyle rendeliyorum, karabiberi de taze çekiyorum. - I grate the garlic with a grater, and I grind the black pepper fresh.

Those are the definite accusative endings. In Turkish, a specific/definite direct object takes -(y)ı/-(y)i/-(y)u/-(y)ü (chosen by vowel harmony). Here:

sarımsak + -ı → sarımsağı (with k → ğ, see below)
karabiber + -i → karabiberi

With the accusative, you’re saying “the garlic” and “the black pepper” (known/specific), not just “garlic/pepper” in general.

Could I drop those endings? How would the meaning change?

Yes. Without the accusative, the objects are indefinite/generic:

Sarımsak rendeliyorum = I (am) grate(ing) garlic (some garlic, garlic in general).
Karabiber taze çekiyorum = I grind pepper fresh (some/freshly, not a specific pepper you and I already know about).

With the accusative (as in the original), you imply particular garlic and pepper in the situation (e.g., the ones in this recipe/this dish).

What does the little word de in karabiberi de do?

It’s the enclitic de/da meaning “also/too/as well.” It’s written separately and follows vowel harmony for a/e (but never becomes t—unlike the locative suffix):

Here it’s de because the last vowel of karabiberi is front (i).
It attaches to the element being added: karabiberi de taze çekiyorum = “I also grind the black pepper fresh.”

Where else can de go, and how does that change the meaning?

It attaches right after the thing you’re saying is “also” involved. Different placements shift focus:

Ben de sarımsağı rendeyle rendeliyorum… = I, too, do this (maybe others do as well).
Sarımsağı da rendeyle rendeliyorum… = I also grate the garlic (in addition to doing other things).
Rendeyle de rendeliyorum… = I also use a grater (perhaps besides another method).
The original Karabiberi de taze çekiyorum = The pepper, too, I grind fresh (in addition to grating the garlic).

Note: de/da is always a separate word and never takes a hyphen.

Is de/da here the same as the suffix in words like evde?

No. Two different items:

Enclitic de/da = “also/too,” written separately, never turns into te/ta.
Locative suffix -de/-da/-te/-ta = “in/at/on,” attached to the word and affected by voicing (e.g., evde, parkta).

What exactly does rendeyle mean?

It’s “with a grater / by means of a grater.” Turkish uses the postposition ile (“with/and”) that can fuse to the preceding noun:

Separate: rende ile
Fused: rendeyle (very common) The fused form uses -le/-la (vowel harmony) and inserts buffer y when the noun ends in a vowel: rende + y + le.

Why is there a y in rendeyle?

It’s a buffer letter to prevent two vowels from crashing. When a vowel-final word takes fused -ile:

rende + ile → rendeyle
su + ile → suyla
elma + ile → elmayla

Isn’t rendeyle rendeliyorum redundant, since rendelemek already means “to grate”?

It’s not wrong or unusual. Adding the instrument (rendeyle) can:

Emphasize the tool (as opposed to, say, chopping or pressing).
Contrast with another possible method. Turkish often states instruments explicitly: bıçakla kesiyorum (I cut with a knife), otobüsle gidiyorum (I go by bus).

How are the verb forms built here?

Both are in the present continuous:

rendeliyorum = rendele- (stem) + -iyor (progressive) + -um (1sg) → vowel contraction makes it “rendele-iyor-um → rendeliyorum.”
çekiyorum = çek- + -iyor + -um → “çekiyorum.”

The ending -yor expresses ongoing action (now), near future, or a current routine depending on context.

Why is it rendeliyorum and not rendeleiyorum?

When a verb stem ends in -e/-a, that vowel typically drops before -iyor:

beklemek → bekliyor(um)
rendelemek → rendeliyor(um) A classic exception is yemek → yiyorum (irregular stem change).

Why did sarımsak become sarımsağı (k → ğ)?

Word-final k often softens when a vowel-initial suffix is added:

sarımsak + ı → sarımsağı
Other examples: çocuk → çocuğu, yemek → yemeği, renk → rengi (k → g/ğ depending on the word).

How do you pronounce ğ in sarımsağı?

Turkish ğ (yumuşak g) usually lengthens/smooths the preceding vowel rather than making a hard “g” sound. So sarımsağı sounds like “sarımsaa-ı” with a gentle glide, not “sarımsagı.”

What does çekmek mean here? Why not öğütmek?

çekmek is very polysemous (“pull,” “take [a photo],” “download,” etc.). In food contexts it commonly means “to grind” (e.g., coffee, pepper), often implying a grinder/mill. Öğütmek also means “to grind,” and is perfectly fine:

Karabiberi de taze çekiyorum (common, natural)
Karabiberi de taze öğütüyorum (also correct; a bit more formal/technical)

Why is there a comma instead of ve (“and”)?

Turkish often links short parallel clauses with a comma, especially when de/da already signals addition:

Sarımsağı… rendeliyorum, karabiberi de… çekiyorum. You could add ve: … rendeliyorum ve karabiberi de … çekiyorum, but it’s not necessary.

Is the word order fixed? What can move?

Turkish is flexible, but the default is S(ubject)–O(bject)–V(erb). Instruments and adverbs usually come before the verb and often before the object:

Sarımsağı rendeyle rendeliyorum (original order; very natural)
Rendeyle sarımsağı rendeliyorum (also natural; slight emphasis on the tool)
Sarımsağı rendeliyorum rendeyle (possible but less typical; instrument usually precedes the verb) Elements you want to emphasize are often placed immediately before the verb or marked with de.

How would I say “freshly ground black pepper” as a noun phrase?

Use a participle:

taze çekilmiş karabiber Example: Üstüne taze çekilmiş karabiber serpin. = “Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper on top.”