Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kız kardeşim işe geç kaldı, çünkü otobüs rötar yaptı. - My sister was late for work because the bus was delayed.

It’s the 1st-person singular possessive suffix: kardeş (sibling) + -im → kardeşim = my sibling. In the compound kız kardeşim, only the head noun (kardeş) takes the possessive; kız just specifies gender.

Why is it işe and not işte?

işe = to work (dative case -e/-a, destination/goal)
işte = at work (locative case -de/-da) or the discourse filler “well/there you go” Here we need the goal of motion/arrival (late to work), so işe is correct.

Shouldn’t it be işine (“to her work”) since we’re talking about “her”?

Not necessary. Turkish usually omits a possessive on places you go habitually; işe geç kaldı is understood as “late to (her) work.” You can say işine geç kaldı to make the possessive explicit; both are fine.

What exactly is geç kaldı?

It’s the fixed expression geç kalmak = to be late. Literally “to remain late,” but idiomatically “to be late.” Here it’s past tense, 3rd singular: kaldı.

Can I say işe geç geldi instead?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

geç kalmak focuses on missing a scheduled or expected time (being late).
geç gelmek simply means “to arrive late.” In many contexts they overlap. For work, işe geç kaldı is very standard; işe geç geldi is also common and perfectly natural.

Why does it say otobüs rötar yaptı? Is that natural for buses?

Yes, though it’s most common with flights and trains. Alternatives:

Otobüs gecikti (the bus was delayed) — very common and simple.
Otobüs rötarlı geldi (the bus arrived delayed).
Rötar vardı / rötar etti also occur, but gecikti is the most straightforward.

Why use yaptı with rötar?

Turkish often uses “light verbs” like yapmak with nouns to form predicates. Rötar yapmak ≈ “to have/make a delay.” Similar patterns: hata yapmak (make a mistake), alışveriş yapmak (do shopping).

How does çünkü work here? Can I put the cause first?

Çünkü introduces the reason clause. Order is flexible:

Result first: … geç kaldı, çünkü otobüs rötar yaptı.
Cause first: use a nominalized cause with -dığı için: Otobüs rötar yaptığı için … geç kaldı. Both are natural.

Do I need the comma before çünkü?

It’s standard and recommended in writing to separate the main clause from the çünkü-clause with a comma. In casual writing you’ll sometimes see it omitted.

Can I start a sentence with Çünkü?

In conversation, yes—especially when answering a “Why?” question:

Neden geç kaldın? — Çünkü otobüs rötar yaptı. In formal prose, many prefer not to start a new sentence with çünkü unless it’s clearly connected to the previous sentence.

Why is the verb at the end?

Turkish is typically SOV (Subject–Object–Verb). Here:

Kız kardeşim (subject)
işe (goal)
geç kaldı (verb phrase/predicate) In the reason clause: otobüs (subject) + rötar yaptı (verb phrase).

Why past -dı (as in kaldı, yaptı) and not -miş?

-dı/-di marks definite, witnessed, or certain past. -miş often indicates hearsay/inference. Compare:

Geç kaldı (I know for a fact.)
Geç kalmış (apparently/she seems to have been late.)

What are good synonyms for the connector?

For “because”: çünkü, zira (formal), madem (ki) in some contexts.
For “therefore/so”: bu yüzden, o yüzden, bu nedenle, dolayısıyla. Example: Otobüs rötar yaptı, bu yüzden işe geç kaldı.

How do I say older vs. younger sister?

Ablam = my older sister.
Kız kardeşim = my sister (explicitly female, often younger unless context says otherwise). You can add küçük/büyük for clarity: küçük kız kardeşim, büyük kız kardeşim.
Erkek kardeşim = my brother.

Does kız here mean “girl” or “daughter”?

kız means “girl/female.” By itself with possession, kızım = my daughter. In kız kardeşim, kız modifies kardeş to indicate a female sibling; it does not mean daughter.

Can you break down the forms?

Kız kardeşim = kız (female) + kardeş (sibling) + -im (my) → my sister
işe = iş (work) + -e (to) → to work
geç kaldı = geç (late) + kal- (remain) + -dı (past, 3sg) → was late
çünkü = because
otobüs = bus
rötar yaptı = rötar (delay) + yap- (do) + -tı (past, 3sg) → had/made a delay

Is there any vowel harmony at play?

Yes:

Dative on iş is -e (front vowel harmony) → işe.
Possessive on kardeş is -im (front vowel) → kardeşim. Turkish suffix vowels harmonize with the last vowel of the stem.

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?

ı (in kız) = close back unrounded vowel; like the ‘e’ in “taken” but without a clear vowel, a relaxed “uh.”
ö (in rötar) and ü (in çünkü) = front rounded vowels (as in German ö/ü; try saying “ee/eh” with rounded lips).
ç = “ch” in “church”; ş = “sh” in “shoe.”