Learn Hardcore Turkish: Evde kalmaktansa parkta yürümek daha keyifli. - Rather than staying at home, walking in the park is more pleasant.

It’s the compact form of “rather than doing.” Morphologically: kal-mak-tan-sa = verb stem (kal-) + verbal noun (-mak) + ablative (-dan/-den, realized here as -tan) + conditional (-sa/-se). Over time this sequence fused into a single comparative form meaning “rather than staying.”

Why is it -tan- (as in kalmaktansa) and not -dan-?

It’s due to consonant harmony. The ablative suffix is underlyingly -DAn and appears as -dan/-den after voiced sounds and as -tan/-ten after voiceless sounds. Because -mak ends in the voiceless consonant k, you get -tan: kal-mak-tan-sa → kalmaktansa.

Can I also say -mektense instead of -maktansa?

Yes. The choice between -maktansa and -mektense follows vowel harmony:

After back vowels (a, ı, o, u): -maktansa (e.g., okumaktansa).
After front vowels (e, i, ö, ü): -mektense (e.g., yürümektense, gelmektense).

How is -maktansa different from using the ablative with daha (e.g., “X, Y’den daha …”)?

Two common comparative patterns:

Preference/alternative: X yapmak(tansa), Y yapmak daha … (rather than X, Y is more …).
Standard comparative: Y yapmak, X yapmaktan daha … (Y is more … than X). Your sentence uses the first pattern. The second version would be: Parkta yürümek, evde kalmaktan daha keyifli.

Do I need daha when I use -maktansa?

With -maktansa, daha is optional but common for clarity/emphasis. Without it, the preference is still clear:

With emphasis: Evde kalmaktansa parkta yürümek daha keyifli.
More neutral preference: Evde kalmaktansa parkta yürümek keyifli.
With the ablative comparative (X’den), you normally include daha.

Why is it evde but parkta?

Both take the locative suffix -DA, which has four forms by vowel and consonant harmony: -da, -de, -ta, -te.

ev + de → evde (last consonant is voiced; last vowel is front → de)
park + ta → parkta (last consonant is voiceless; last vowel is back → ta)

Why don’t we say kalmakta or yürümekte?

Because the locative marks the place nouns (ev-de, park-ta), not the verbs. Kalmakta/yürümekte would be a different construction (a formal/old-fashioned progressive nominal like “in the act of staying/walking”), which isn’t what we need here.

Why is it yürü-mek but kal-mak? How do I choose -mak vs -mek?

It’s vowel harmony for the verbal noun suffix -mAk:

After back vowels (a, ı, o, u): -mak → kal-mak
After front vowels (e, i, ö, ü): -mek → yürü-mek

Where is the verb “to be” in this sentence?

Turkish doesn’t use an overt “to be” in simple present equational sentences. Parkta yürümek (subject) daha keyifli (predicate) implicitly means “Walking in the park is more enjoyable.”

Can I add -dir to make it daha keyiflidir?

Yes. -dir is an optional copular ending that adds formality or a sense of general truth:
Evde kalmaktansa parkta yürümek daha keyiflidir.
Everyday speech typically omits it.

What exactly does keyifli mean, and are there near-synonyms?

Keyifli = “pleasant/enjoyable,” from keyif (pleasure) + -li (“with/having”). Nuances:

keyifli: pleasant, puts you in a good mood, relaxing.
eğlenceli: fun/entertaining.
zevkli: tasteful, enjoyable (often with aesthetic connotations).
hoş: nice/pleasant.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move things around?

Turkish word order is flexible. Common variants:

Evde kalmaktansa, parkta yürümek daha keyifli. (your version; the “rather than” clause first)
Parkta yürümek, evde kalmaktan daha keyifli. (standard comparative) Keep daha directly before the adjective/adverb it modifies.

What is the subject of the sentence?

The subject is the verbal noun phrase parkta yürümek (“walking in the park”). Evde kalmaktansa is an adverbial comparative (“rather than staying at home”), and daha keyifli is the predicate.

Could I use yerine instead of -maktansa?

Yes: Evde kalmak yerine parkta yürümek (daha) keyifli.
Yerine means “instead of” and is a bit more neutral; -maktansa tends to sound like a preference/choice.

How would I express the preference explicitly (e.g., “I prefer”)?

Use tercih etmek:

Evde kalmaktansa parkta yürümeyi tercih ederim.
Or with the standard comparative: Parkta yürümeyi, evde kalmaya tercih ederim.

Does de in evde mean “too/also”?

No. In evde, -de is the locative suffix. The particle de/da meaning “too/also” is written separately and doesn’t attach to the noun.

Can the comma after kalmaktansa be used?

Yes, many writers insert a comma after a fronted adverbial like Evde kalmaktansa, … for readability. It’s a stylistic choice; both with and without a comma are acceptable.

Are the subjects of both actions assumed to be the same person?

By default, yes. With -maktansa/-mektense, Turkish typically implies the same (understood) subject for both actions unless otherwise specified. If you need to contrast subjects, other structures (e.g., -eceğine/-acağına) are used in context-specific ways.