Learn Hardcore Turkish: Öğretmen kitapları öğrencilere paylaştırdı. - The teacher distributed the books to the students.

Öğretmen = subject (the teacher)
kitapları = direct object with accusative marking (the books)
öğrencilere = indirect object with dative marking (to the students)
paylaştırdı = verb (distributed), past tense, 3rd person singular Turkish is typically SOV, so the verb comes last: Subject–Object–Indirect object–Verb here is slightly shuffled (S–DO–IO–V), which is common and fine.

What do the suffixes in kitapları mean?

kitap = book
-lar = plural → kitaplar (books)
-ı = accusative (definite direct object) → kitapları = the books Turkish marks a definite direct object with the accusative. If it were indefinite, you would normally leave it unmarked: kitap dağıttı = (He/She) handed out books.

Could kitapları also mean “their books”?

Yes, kitapları is ambiguous in isolation; it can be:

plural + accusative: the books
3rd person possessive plural: his/her/their books Context resolves it. To be explicit about possession you’d usually say öğrencilerin kitaplarını (the students’ books). In this sentence, the most natural reading is “the books.”

What do the suffixes in öğrencilere mean?

öğrenci = student
-ler = plural → öğrenciler (students)
-e = dative (to) → öğrencilere (to the students) Dative marks recipients, so it corresponds to English “to.”

Why is it -lere (not -lara) in öğrencilere?

Vowel harmony. The last vowel in öğrenci is front (i), so the plural suffix is the front form -ler, and the dative is the front form -e. Hence öğrenci + ler + e → öğrencilere.

What is the verb paylaştırdı built from?

pay (share/portion)
-laş- (become/do together → gives “share” as a verb: paylaş-)
-tır- (causative → “make share,” i.e., distribute)
-dı (simple past; 3sg has zero person ending) So paylaştırdı ≈ “(he/she) distributed (by having them shared out).”

How is the past tense ending chosen in paylaştırdı?

The simple past is -DI with 4-way vowel harmony: -dı, -di, -du, -dü. It also surfaces as -TI after a voiceless consonant. The last vowel before the suffix here is back unrounded ı, and the preceding consonant (r) is voiced, so it becomes -dı → paylaştırdı.

What’s the difference between paylaştırmak and dağıtmak?

paylaştırmak: to distribute by dividing into shares, often with an implication of fairness/equal shares.
dağıtmak: to hand out/distribute/spread, more general and physical. Both work for books; dağıtmak is the everyday go-to, paylaştırmak can sound a bit more “apportioned.”

Why dative (öğrencilere) and not something like “among the students”?

You can do both:

Recipient dative: öğrencilere paylaştırdı = distributed to the students.
“Among” with a postposition: öğrenciler arasında paylaştırdı = distributed among the students. The first focuses on recipients; the second emphasizes dividing within the group.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Turkish is flexible, and word order affects emphasis:

Öğretmen kitapları öğrencilere paylaştırdı. (neutral)
Öğretmen öğrencilere kitapları paylaştırdı. (slight focus on the books)
Kitapları öğrencilere öğretmen paylaştırdı. (focus on “the teacher” as the agent)
Kitapları öğretmen öğrencilere paylaştırdı. (focus on the books) The verb typically stays last.

How would I say “The books were distributed to the students” (passive)?

Kitaplar öğrencilere paylaştırıldı. To mention the agent: Kitaplar öğretmen tarafından öğrencilere paylaştırıldı.

How do I say it if the object is indefinite?

Use a bare (unmarked) object:

Öğretmen öğrencilere kitap dağıttı/paylaştırdı. = The teacher handed out/distributed books. If you say kitapları, it means “the books” (definite). Bazı kitaplar = some books (indefinite): Öğretmen öğrencilere bazı kitaplar dağıttı.

How would I say “to each student”?

Her öğrenciye: Öğretmen her öğrenciye bir kitap paylaştırdı/dağıttı. = The teacher gave one book to each student. Note the singular after her: öğrenciye, not öğrencilere.

Is it okay to drop the subject?

Yes, if context makes it clear:

Kitapları öğrencilere paylaştırdı. = (He/She) distributed the books to the students. Turkish is pro-drop; the verb ending already shows person/number (3sg is zero).

Any pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?

ğ (in öğretmen, öğrenci) lengthens the preceding vowel; it’s not a hard “g.” So öğ is like a long “ö.”
ş in paylaştırdı is “sh.”
ı (dotless i) in paylaştırdı is a back, unrounded vowel, roughly like the vowel in “roses” for many English speakers.
Stress is typically on the last syllable of the verb: pay-laş-tır-dı.