Learn Hardcore Turkish: Espri işitince herkes gülüyor. - When they hear a joke, everyone laughs.

-ince/-ınca/-ünce/-unca is a temporal converb meaning roughly when/once/whenever. It attaches to the verb stem: işit- + -ince → işitince. Vowel harmony picks the form (-ince here because the last vowel is front, i). It often implies an immediate trigger: upon hearing.

Who is the subject of işitince? There’s no pronoun—how do we know who is hearing?

In -ince clauses, the subject is usually controlled by the main clause subject. Here it’s herkes, so the sense is “when everyone hears (a joke).” If you needed a different subject, you’d normally use another type of time clause (e.g., a -DIK … -da construction) and mark the subject explicitly.

Why is it espri and not espriyi? When do I add the accusative -yi?

Bare espri is an indefinite, generic object: “a joke/any joke.” Use accusative espriyi if it’s definite/specific: “the joke.” So:

Espri işitince … = whenever they hear a joke (in general).
Espriyi işitince … = when they hear the joke (a particular one).

Can I say bir espri işitince? Does bir change the meaning?

Yes. Bir espri işitince is fine and feels a bit more event-like (“on hearing a joke (one)”), while bare espri is more generic. Both are natural.

Is işitmek the normal verb for “to hear”? How does it compare to duymak?

Both mean to hear, but duymak is more common and colloquial. İşitmek can sound formal/old-fashioned or appear in set phrases. Many speakers would say Espri duyunca herkes gülüyor.

Are there alternative ways to say “when they hear a joke”?

Common options:

Espri duyunca … (most colloquial)
Espriyi duyunca … (specific joke)
More formal/passive: Espri duyulduğunda … (when a joke is heard) The -ince/-unca pattern is the simplest and most frequent.

Why is it gülüyor and not gülüyorlar after herkes?

Herkes is grammatically singular, so the verb is 3rd person singular: gülüyor. Using a plural verb (gülüyorlar) is nonstandard; you might hear it in speech for emphasis, but avoid it in careful writing.

Could we use güler instead of gülüyor? What’s the difference?

Yes.

güler (aorist) states a general truth/habit: everyone laughs in such a situation.
gülüyor (progressive) can also describe a typical reaction but feels more “ongoing/actual.” For a timeless generalization, Espri işitince herkes güler is slightly more neutral.

Is the word order fixed? Can I say Herkes espri işitince gülüyor?

Word order is flexible. Placing the -ince clause first (Espri işitince …) is very natural because it sets the time. Herkes espri işitince gülüyor is also fine. Putting the time clause at the end (Herkes gülüyor espri işitince) is possible but less common; commas can help readability.

Do I need a comma after Espri işitince?

Optional. Many writers add a comma after an initial adverbial clause for clarity: Espri işitince, herkes gülüyor. It’s also fine without it.

What’s the difference between espri and şaka?

Both can mean “joke,” but:

espri: witty remark/wordplay; “wit.” Collocations: espri yapmak (make a witty joke), esprili (witty).
şaka: joke/prank/teasing. Collocations: şaka yapmak, şaka mı? (are you joking?).

Does gülmek take an object? Should it be espriye gülüyor?

Gülmek by itself means “to laugh,” no object needed. If you want “laugh at” something/someone, use dative: bir şeye/birine gülmek. So Espriye gülüyor(lar) = “they laugh at the joke,” but the original focuses on the trigger (“upon hearing”) rather than the target.

Why is it gülüyor with -üyor? How is the progressive built?

Present progressive is -(i)yor. You add a harmonizing buffer vowel before the fixed -yor:

gül-
- -üyor → gülüyor (buffer vowel matches the stem’s last vowel ü).
With a back vowel stem, e.g., bak- → bakıyor.

How is işitince pronounced, especially the c?

In Turkish, c is pronounced like English j in jam, not ch. So işitince sounds roughly like i-shi-tin-je. The -ince part is not -inche (that would be spelled -inçe).

How do I negate the -ince clause: “when they don’t hear a joke”?

Add the negative -me- before -ince: işitmeyince. For a full negative sentence: Espri işitmeyince kimse gülmüyor (when no joke is heard, nobody laughs) or, with a different meaning, Espri işitmeyince herkes gülmüyor (not everyone laughs).