Learn Hardcore Turkish: Çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce herkesle saati netleştiriyoruz. - Before updating the schedule, we clarify the time with everyone.

Because it’s the direct object of the embedded verb güncellemek inside the -meden önce clause. In Turkish, when you use a converb like -meden (before/without doing), the verb’s object still takes its normal case. Here the schedule is specific/known, so it’s marked accusative: çizelgeyi.

Definite: Çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce… = before updating the schedule.
If you don’t need to specify which schedule, you typically drop the object: Güncellemeden önce…

How does -meden önce work? Doesn’t -meden mean “without doing”?

Yes. -meden/-madan by itself means “without doing” (negative converb). When followed by önce (before), the fixed combination means “before doing something.”

Güncellemeden = without updating.
Güncellemeden önce = before updating. Examples:
Çizelgeyi güncellemeden çıkmayın. = Don’t leave without updating the schedule.
Çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce herkesle… = Before updating the schedule, we …

How do I say “after updating (the schedule)”?

Two common options:

Çizelgeyi güncelledikten sonra… (“after updating the schedule”)
Çizelgeyi güncelleyince… (“when/once we update the schedule,” often more colloquial/immediate) Both are natural; -dikten sonra is very neutral and widely used.

Why herkesle and not herkese?

herkesle = “with everyone” (ile = with; here as the suffix -le). This fits verbs of working/agreeing together: saati netleştirmek “clarify/finalize the time” with people.
herkese = “to everyone” (dative). That would fit verbs like “tell/notify”:
- Herkese saati bildiriyoruz. = We inform everyone of the time.

Can I write herkes ile instead of herkesle? And what about -yle?

Yes:

ile can stand alone (herkes ile) or attach as -le/-la (herkesle) with vowel harmony.
After a word ending in a vowel, it becomes -yle/-yla (e.g., Ali’yle / Ali ile). Both are correct; the fused form is very common in speech.

Why is it saati and not just saat? Could I use zaman or vakit instead?

saati has the accusative because it’s a specific, definite object: “the time (we’re talking about).”
saat is the natural word for a clock time (“two o’clock,” a meeting time).
zaman is broader, “time” in general; vakit overlaps with “time/opportunity/free time.”
For scheduling, the idiomatic collocation is saati netleştirmek (“to finalize/firm up the exact time”).

Is the present continuous netleştiriyoruz the best choice here? What about netleştiririz?

Both are possible, but they differ in nuance:

netleştiriyoruz (-yor): ongoing/current arrangement, or a near-future plan (“we’re clarifying [these days / now / as a step]”).
netleştiririz (aorist): general habit/policy (“as a rule, we clarify”).
If you mean a standing policy, the aorist is often more natural:
Çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce herkesle saati netleştiririz.

What exactly does netleştiriyoruz consist of?

It’s built from:

net (clear) + -leş- (become X) + -tir- (make X) → netleştirmek = “to make clear/clarify”
-iyor (present continuous) + -uz (we) → netleştiriyoruz = “we are clarifying.”

Could I use the intransitive form netleşmek instead?

Yes, with a slight shift:

netleştirmek (transitive): you clarify something: saati netleştirmek.
netleşmek (intransitive): it becomes clear/is clarified.
You could say: Çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce, saat konusunda herkesle netleşiyoruz. (“we reach clarity with everyone about the time”).

Can I reorder the parts of the sentence?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible, and adverbial clauses often come first. A few natural variants:

Çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce, herkesle saati netleştiriyoruz. (comma after the initial clause is common)
Herkesle saati, çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce netleştiriyoruz.
Herkesle, çizelgeyi güncellemeden önce saati netleştiriyoruz. The core meaning stays the same; word order affects emphasis.

Do I need to say biz?

No. The ending -uz in netleştiriyoruz already shows “we.” You add biz only for emphasis or contrast (e.g., Biz netleştiriyoruz, onlar etmiyor.).

Is çizelge the most natural word for “schedule”?

çizelge can mean “schedule” but also “table/chart” and is somewhat formal/technical.
In everyday speech, many prefer program (schedule/agenda) or takvim (calendar), depending on context.
Examples:
Programı güncellemeden önce…
Takvimi güncellemeden önce…

Are there good synonyms for saati netleştirmek?

Yes, depending on nuance:

saati kesinleştirmek (finalize/lock in)
saati kararlaştırmak (decide on)
saati belirlemek (set/determine)
If you specifically mean “confirm,” use saati teyit etmek.

Could I say … güncellemeden evvel instead of … önce?

Yes. evvel is a bit more formal/old-fashioned, but … güncellemeden evvel is correct. önce is the default in modern usage.

How do I say “before we update our schedule”?

Use the possessive on “schedule”:

Çizelgemizi güncellemeden önce…
(You don’t need to add bizim unless you want emphasis: Bizim çizelgemizi…)

Does herkes act like singular or plural?

Grammatically it’s treated as singular (“everyone”), but here it’s in an oblique phrase (herkesle = “with everyone”), and the verb agrees with the subject biz (“we”), so netleştiriyoruz is correct.