Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bu arada matarayı suyla doldur; gökyüzü kararmadan başlayalım. - By the way, fill the canteen with water; let’s start before the sky gets dark.

Bu arada matarayı suyla doldur; gökyüzü kararmadan başlayalım.

By the way, fill the canteen with water; let’s start before the sky gets dark.

Breakdown of Bu arada matarayı suyla doldur; gökyüzü kararmadan başlayalım.

Questions & Answers about Bu arada matarayı suyla doldur; gökyüzü kararmadan başlayalım.

Does "Bu arada" mean "by the way" or "in the meantime" here?

In this sentence it means in the meantime/meanwhile (i.e., while something else is going on). "Bu arada" can also mean "by the way" when introducing a side note, but the action-oriented context here favors the temporal meaning.

Why is it "matarayı" with -yı at the end?

-ı/-i/-u/-ü is the definite accusative suffix, marking a specific direct object: matara (canteen) → matarayı (the canteen).
The consonant y is a buffer added because the noun ends in a vowel: matara + -(y)ı → matarayı.
Without accusative, you’d be talking about an indefinite object (e.g., “fill a canteen”): bir matara doldur.

Is "suyla" the same as "su ile"? Why use -la/-le?

Yes. suyla = su ile (“with water / using water”). Turkish often cliticizes ile to -la/-le (with vowel harmony), and after vowel-final words it appears as -yla/-yle: su + -yla → suyla. All of these are correct: su ile (more formal), suyla (very common), suyla doldur.

Could I say “suyla matarayı doldur” instead of “matarayı suyla doldur”?

Yes, both are grammatical. The neutral/default order is typically OBJECT + ADVERBIAL + VERB: matarayı suyla doldur. Fronting suyla (suyla matarayı doldur) puts focus on “with water” (e.g., not with juice).