Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kuru temizleme fişini sakladım, yarın alacağım. - I kept the dry-cleaning receipt; I will pick it up tomorrow.

fiş (receipt)
- third-person possessive suffix -i to make the compound “dry-cleaning receipt” (kuru temizleme fişi = “receipt of the dry cleaner/dry cleaning”)
- accusative case -nı/-ni (here -ni) because it’s a specific, definite object.

So fişini here is “the receipt (of the dry cleaning),” not necessarily “your receipt.” Note: in isolation, fişini can also mean “your receipt” or “his/her receipt” with accusative, but the presence of kuru temizleme shows this is the compound “dry-cleaning receipt.”

Why do we use the accusative on fişini?

Turkish marks definite/specific direct objects with the accusative. You’re talking about a particular, known receipt, so you say kuru temizleme fişini. If you said kuru temizleme fişi sakladım, that would sound like “I kept a dry-cleaning receipt” (indefinite), which is not what is meant here.

What is kuru temizleme exactly?

Kuru means “dry,” and temizleme is a noun from the verb temizlemek “to clean,” formed with the nominalizer -me/-ma. Together, kuru temizleme is the service “dry cleaning.” The shop/person is often kuru temizlemeci (“dry cleaner”). The compound kuru temizleme fişi is “dry-cleaning receipt.”

Could fişini be interpreted as “your receipt” here?

Morphologically it could, because both “your receipt (accusative)” and “his/her receipt (accusative)” and “X’s receipt (accusative)” can surface as fişini. But in kuru temizleme fişini, the preceding noun forms a compound, so the natural reading is “the dry-cleaning receipt.” If you wanted to say “your receipt,” you could make it explicit: senin fişini. For “his/her”: onun fişini.

Why is the word order object–verb in the first clause?

Turkish is typically SOV (Subject–Object–Verb). The object kuru temizleme fişini comes before the verb sakladım. The subject ben (“I”) is dropped because it’s already encoded on the verb.

Why is the object omitted in the second clause (yarın alacağım)?

Turkish frequently drops objects when they’re obvious from context. Here, the intended object is “the dry-cleaned clothes/items,” not the receipt. If you said onu yarın alacağım (“I’ll pick it up tomorrow”), the pronoun onu would most naturally refer to the most recent explicit noun, the receipt, which would be odd. Leaving the object out avoids that confusion. If you really want an object, say onları yarın alacağım (“I’ll pick them up tomorrow”) for the clothes.

What does alacağım mean here? Isn’t almak “to take/buy”?

Almak is very flexible: “to take, get, buy, receive, pick up.” In contexts like dry cleaning or parcels, almak commonly means “to pick up/collect.” So yarın alacağım = “I’ll pick it up/collect it tomorrow.”

How is alacağım formed, and why is there a ğ?

Root al- + future -ecek/-acak (here -acak) + 1st person singular -ım:

al + acak + ım → alacakım → spelling/pronunciation assimilation gives alacağım. The k becomes ğ between vowels. Here ğ lengthens/smooths the preceding vowel; it’s not a hard “g.” Similar: geleceğim (from gel-), bakacağım (from bak-).

Could I say yarın alırım or yarın alıyorum instead? What’s the difference?

Yarın alacağım: straightforward future intention/plan (“I will pick it up tomorrow”).
Yarın alırım (aorist): can express a decision/promise or scheduled action (“I’ll get it tomorrow, sure”), often used in quick commitments.
Yarın alıyorum (present continuous): used for near-future arrangements already set (“I’m picking it up tomorrow,” like a scheduled pickup). All are possible; nuance and context determine the best choice.

Where can yarın go in the sentence?

Most natural is before the verb: Yarın alacağım. You can also say Onları yarın alacağım (if you include an object). Alacağım yarın is possible only with special emphasis and sounds marked/unusual in neutral speech. Time adverbs usually precede the verb phrase.

Why is there no ben (“I”)?

Turkish is a pro-drop language. Person and number are marked on the verb (-dım, -acağım), so the subject pronoun is unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast: Ben yarın alacağım (“I’ll be the one to pick it up tomorrow”).

Is the comma between the clauses okay, or should there be ve?

A comma between two short related clauses like this is common and natural in Turkish. You could add ve (“and”): Kuru temizleme fişini sakladım ve yarın alacağım, but the simple comma is fine and often preferred for a brisk style.

What nuance does sakladım have? Is it “kept,” “saved,” or “hid”?

Saklamak means “to put away, keep safe, hold onto, store,” and also “to hide.” Here it’s “I kept/put away the receipt (so we don’t lose it).” For digital “save,” use kaydetmek. For “keep/hold” in the sense of maintaining possession, tutmak can be used in some contexts.

If the clothes are plural, does the verb change?

No. Verbs don’t agree with the object’s number. You can mark the pronoun plural if you include it: Onları yarın alacağım (“I’ll pick them up tomorrow”). The verb remains singular. Number agreement is only with the subject, not the object.

Could I explicitly say “from the dry cleaner’s”?

Yes: Yarın kuru temizlemeden alacağım (“I’ll pick [them] up from the dry cleaner’s tomorrow”). The ablative -den/-dan on kuru temizleme shows the source.

Is kuru temizleme fişi the only way to say it? What about fatura or makbuz?

Fiş: a simple receipt (like a till receipt).
Makbuz: an official receipt acknowledging payment.
Fatura: an invoice/bill (often with tax details). For a dry cleaner’s counter receipt or claim ticket, fiş is the usual everyday word; some places might say teslim fişi (“delivery/claim receipt”).

Could I say Kuru temizlemenin fişini sakladım instead?

Yes. That’s a “genitive–possessive” construction (kuru temizlemenin + fişi), and with accusative becomes fişini. It’s correct but slightly heavier. The lighter noun–noun compound kuru temizleme fişi is very common and sounds more natural in everyday speech.