Learn Hardcore Turkish: Adayların çoğu deneyimli, ama ben de istekliyim. - Most candidates are experienced, but I am eager as well.

aday-lar-ın çoğ-u = most of the candidates
This is the regular “genitive + possessed head” pattern, also seen in öğrencilerin yarısı (half of the students), kitapların hepsi (all of the books).

What does the -u at the end of “çoğu” do?

It’s the 3rd person singular possessive ending on the head noun/pronoun “çoğ-” (“most”), giving çoğ-u = “its/their most.” In this construction the head is possessed by the genitive phrase: adayların çoğu = “the candidates’ most” → “most of the candidates.”

Can I say “çoğu aday” instead of “adayların çoğu”? What’s the difference?

çoğu aday = “most candidates” (indefinite, general statement, not a specific set)
adayların çoğu = “most of the candidates” (a specific, known set) Choose based on whether you mean a general tendency or a specific group in context.

Why isn’t there a plural ending on the predicate? Should it be “deneyimliler”?

With quantified subjects like çoğu, the predicate adjective is usually in the singular: Adayların çoğu deneyimli is perfectly standard. You will also hear the plural predicate with -ler when the subject is human: Adayların çoğu deneyimliler. Both are acceptable; the singular is more neutral and common in writing, while the plural can add a feeling of agreement/emphasis with a human group.

Why is there no visible “to be” in “Adayların çoğu deneyimli,” but there is in “istekliyim”?

In the 3rd person present, Turkish often uses a “zero copula” (no overt ending) with predicate adjectives/nouns: Adayların çoğu deneyimli. For 1st person, you must attach a copular ending to the predicate, hence istekli-y-im = “I am willing.”

What exactly is “istekliyim” made of?

istek (desire) + -li → istekli (“willing/eager” = “having desire”)
- 1st person singular copula -(y)im → istekli-y-im = istekliyim (“I am willing”) The buffer y appears because istekli ends in a vowel.

Why do we need the “y” in “istekliyim”?

It’s the buffer consonant used when adding the copular ending to a vowel-final predicate. Compare:

mutlu-y-um, hazır-ım, yorgun-um If the predicate ends in a vowel, insert y before -im/ım/um/üm.

What does the clitic “de” mean here, and why is it separate?

de/da is the additive clitic meaning “also/too.” It’s written as a separate word and attaches (phonologically and in meaning) to the word it follows: ben de = “I too.” Don’t confuse it with the locative suffix -de/-da (“in/at/on”), which attaches to the noun: bende = “on me / I have.”

How do I choose “de” vs. “da”? Does it ever become “te/ta”?

Use vowel harmony:

After a front-vowel word → de (e, i, ö, ü): ben de
After a back-vowel word → da (a, ı, o, u): o da For the additive clitic, the consonant stays d; it does NOT change to t. (Only the locative/case suffix can be -te/-ta after voiceless consonants.)

What’s the difference between “ben de” and “bende”?

ben de = “I too / I also” (additive clitic, written separately)
bende = “on me / with me / I have” (locative suffix attached to the pronoun) Example: Ben de istekliyim (“I’m willing, too”) vs. Bende para yok (“I don’t have money”).

Does “de” in “ben de istekliyim” mean I’m “also willing” in addition to being experienced?

Not necessarily. de is adding the participant “I” to the discourse, not the property “willing.” Here it contrasts with the previous clause: others are experienced, but “I too am (at least) willing.” So the “also” attaches to ben (I), not to “willing.”

Can I move “de” around? What changes if I say “Ben istekliyim de” or “İstekliyim ben de”?

Ben de istekliyim: the default; “I too am willing.”
İstekliyim ben de: still focuses “ben”; more conversational.
Ben istekliyim de: clause-level “de,” meaning “and I’m (also) willing,” often used as “in addition” or to trail into another point. The placement changes what is being marked as “also.”

Why is there a comma before “ama”? Is it required?

A comma before coordinating conjunctions like ama (“but”) is common and stylistically fine in Turkish to separate two independent clauses. It’s not strictly required; Adayların çoğu deneyimli ama ben de istekliyim is also acceptable.

Can I use “fakat” or “ancak” instead of “ama”?

Yes:

fakat ≈ “but,” a bit more formal/literary.
ancak ≈ “however/but,” often more formal; can start a sentence or follow a semicolon. All three work here with slight register differences.

Could I add -dir: “Adayların çoğu deneyimlidir”? What does that change?

Yes. The suffix -dir can add formality, emphasis, or a “general truth”/inferential tone. Adayların çoğu deneyimlidir sounds more formal or matter-of-fact. Without -dir is the neutral everyday style.

How do I negate these predicates?

1st person: istekli değil-im → istekli değilim (“I am not willing”)
3rd person: deneyimli değil (“[they/most of them] are not experienced”) You negate with değil, then add the copular/person ending if needed.

Any pronunciation tips for “çoğu” and “istekliyim”?

çoğu: ç = “ch” in “church”; ğ is not pronounced as a consonant—here it lengthens the preceding vowel, so it sounds like “choo” (with a longer “o”); final u is like “oo” in “book.”
istekliyim: clear vowels; the y is a glide between -li and -im: i-steK-LI-yim.