Learn Hardcore Turkish: İkinci oturum uzadı, ama sıradaki konuşmacı hazır. - The second session ran long, but the next speaker is ready.

Uzadı is the simple past tense (-DI) of the intransitive verb uzamak “to get longer, to be prolonged.” The subject is third-person singular, so there’s no extra personal ending: uza- (verb stem) + -dı (past) → uzadı “(it) ran long/was extended.”

Why is it uzadı and not uzundu?

Uzadı = “it became long/ran over” (a change or unexpected extension).
Uzundu = “it was long” (a state, no implication of running over). So in a conference context, İkinci oturum uzadı conveys “The second session ran long (overtime),” which is more natural than simply stating it was long.

How is sıradaki formed? What do -da and -ki do?

Sıradaki = sıra (order/queue/turn) + -da (locative “in/at/on”) + -ki (makes a modifier meaning “the one that is in/at …”). Literally “the one in the order,” i.e., “the next (in line).” The locative obeys vowel harmony: sıra → sırada, then add -ki: sıradaki. The suffix -ki generally does not undergo vowel harmony (compare evdeki, okuldaki), with a few set exceptions like bugünkü, dünkü, şimdiki.

Is there a difference between sıradaki and sonraki/bir sonraki?

Sıradaki: specifically the next one in an established order/queue (e.g., the next scheduled speaker).
Sonraki / bir sonraki: “the next one (after this),” more general and not necessarily tied to a queue. In this sentence, sıradaki konuşmacı emphasizes “the speaker next in the lineup.”

Where is the verb in sıradaki konuşmacı hazır? Why isn’t olmak used?

This is a nominal sentence: Turkish can express present “to be” without a verb (zero copula). Sıradaki konuşmacı hazır literally “The next speaker ready.” You can optionally add -dır for formality/emphasis (hazırdır). In the past you must add a copular ending: hazırdı “was ready.”

Is it okay to mix past in the first clause and present in the second?

Yes. Turkish freely mixes tenses across coordinated clauses according to meaning. Here, the session already ran long (uzadı), but at the time of speaking the next speaker is currently ready (hazır).

Do I need the comma before ama?

It’s common (and stylistically preferred by many) to place a comma before ama “but,” but it’s not strictly required. You’ll also see: İkinci oturum uzadı ama sıradaki konuşmacı hazır.

How do I pronounce the dotted İ and the letter ı here?

İ/ i is the “ee” vowel. İkinci starts with that sound: roughly “ee-kin-ji” (Turkish c = English “j” in “jam”).
ı (dotless i) is a back unrounded vowel, like the vowel in English “roses” final syllable for many speakers: hazır ≈ “ha-zɯr.”

How is ikinci built? What’s the rule for Turkish ordinals?

Ordinals take the suffix -(I)nci/-(I)ncı/-(U)ncu/-(Ü)ncü with vowel harmony:

2 → ikinci, 3 → üçüncü, 4 → dördüncü, 5 → beşinci, 6 → altıncı, 10 → onuncu. Here: iki + -nci → ikinci.

What’s the difference between uzamak and uzatmak?

Uzamak (intransitive): “to become longer, be prolonged.” Example: Oturum 10 dakika uzadı.
Uzatmak (transitive): “to lengthen, extend (something).” Example: Konuşmacı oturumu uzattı “The speaker prolonged the session.”

How do I say “ready for” or “ready to do” with hazır?

Use -e/a (dative) after the thing or the verbal noun:

Bir şeye hazır olmak: sunuma hazır “ready for the presentation.”
With verbs, use -meye/-maya: başlamaya hazır “ready to start,” konuşmaya hazır “ready to speak.” Inflect for person if needed: Hazırım, hazırsın, etc.

What alternatives to ama can I use, and are there nuances?

Fakat, ancak ≈ “but/however,” slightly more formal; ancak can also mean “only/just” depending on position.
Lakin is rather literary. Example: İkinci oturum uzadı; ancak sıradaki konuşmacı hazır.

What exactly does oturum mean? How is it different from toplantı or seans?

Oturum is a “session” (conference panels, parliamentary sittings, therapy sessions). Toplantı is a general “meeting.” Seans is also “session,” often for time-slotted events (therapy, cinema, trading), and sounds a bit less institutional than oturum in academic/official contexts.

Could I say İkincisi uzadı instead of İkinci oturum uzadı?

Yes, but it changes structure. İkincisi is a pronominal form “the second one.” İkincisi uzadı works if the noun is obvious from context. If you’re introducing the idea, İkinci oturum uzadı is clearer.

Is sıradaki related to sıradan? I don’t want to say “ordinary speaker” by mistake.

They come from the same root sıra but mean different things:

Sıradaki = “the next one in line.”
Sıradan = “ordinary/average.” So sıradaki konuşmacı = “the next speaker,” while sıradan konuşmacı = “an ordinary (unremarkable) speaker.”

How do I make the second clause negative or put it in the past?

Negative present: Sıradaki konuşmacı hazır değil.
Past: Sıradaki konuşmacı hazırdı.
Past negative: Sıradaki konuşmacı hazır değildi. Plural is also possible: Sıradaki konuşmacılar hazır (hazırlar). Both are acceptable; adding -lar to the predicate can emphasize plurality.