Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bedenini bilmeden tişört almak zor; denedikten sonra karar vermek kolay. - It’s hard to buy a T-shirt without knowing your size; deciding is easy after trying it.

It means your size (or one’s size) as the object of bilmek. Morphology: beden + -in (your) + -i (accusative) → bedenini. Because it’s a specific, possessed thing, it takes the accusative as the object of bilmek. Note that the form bedenini can also mean his/her size (beden + -i (his/her) + -ni (accusative)) — Turkish leaves it to context. In general statements like this, it’s read as the generic you/one’s.

Why is tişört bare (no -i as in tişörtü)?

Indefinite direct objects in Turkish are unmarked: tişört almak = to buy a T-shirt/ T-shirts (in general). tişörtü almak would mean to buy the T-shirt (a specific one).

Why use almak instead of satın almak?

In shopping contexts, almak already means to buy. satın almak is more formal or emphatic (to purchase). Both are correct here; almak is the natural everyday choice.

What does bilmeden mean and how is it formed?

It means without knowing. Formation: verb stem + -ma/-me (negative verbal noun) + -dan/-den (ablative) → a converb meaning without doing X. Here: bil + -me + -den → bilmeden. Vowel harmony applies: -madan after back vowels (a, ı, o, u), -meden after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü). Examples: yemeden (without eating), bakmadan (without looking).

Could I say bilmedikten sonra instead of bilmeden?

No. bilmedikten sonra literally means after not knowing, which sounds odd here. To express without knowing, use -meden/-madan: bilmeden.

How does denedikten sonra work?

It’s the sequence after doing X: verb stem + -dik/-dık/-duk/-dük (nominalizer) + -ten/-tan (ablative) + sonra → after doing. Here: dene + -dik + -ten sonra → denedikten sonra = after trying (it on). The object is understood from context; you can add onu for clarity: Onu denedikten sonra (after trying it on).

Does -dikten sonra show who does the action? How do I say after Ali tries it on?

By default, the subject is understood from the main clause. To make a different subject explicit, you can:

Put the subject before the clause: Ali denedikten sonra karar verdim (After Ali tried it on, I decided).
Or use a nominalization with genitive: Ali’nin denemesinden sonra karar verdim (After Ali’s trying, I decided).

Why is there a semicolon? Could I use a comma or ama?

The semicolon links two independent but closely related clauses. Alternatives:

Two sentences: … zor. … kolay.
Comma + conjunction: … zor, ama … kolay. All are acceptable; the semicolon keeps the balance without adding a conjunction.

Is a linking verb like olmak missing after zor/kolay? What about -dır?

No verb is missing. In Turkish, an infinitive phrase can be the subject and an adjective like zor/kolay is the predicate: … almak zor, … vermek kolay. Adding -dır (zordur/kolaydır) makes it more formal or assertive, often for general truths.

Why karar vermek and not karar almak?

For personal deciding, Turkish uses karar vermek (literally give a decision). karar almak tends to appear in institutional/collective contexts (a board takes a resolution), though colloquially some speakers mix them. Here, karar vermek is the natural choice.

Can I reverse the order of the two halves?

Yes: Denedikten sonra karar vermek kolay; bedenini bilmeden tişört almak zor. The meaning stays the same; the original order highlights the difficulty first.

Can I add bir before tişört?

You can: bir tişört almak. It slightly emphasizes a single/any one T‑shirt. For a general statement, the bare noun (tişört almak) is more neutral and common.

Is denemek the right verb for trying on clothes? Could I use giymek?

Use denemek for trying on clothes. giymek means to put on/wear (not necessarily to test fit). In shops you’ll hear deneyebilirsiniz (you can try [it] on). Tailors may also say prova for fittings.

Is beden the correct word for clothing sizes? What about shoes?

Yes, beden is for clothing sizes (S/M/L, 38, 40…). For shoes (and rings), Turkish typically uses numara. ölçü is measurement in a general sense (e.g., waist measurement).

How would I say polite/plural you in bedenini?

Use the siz possessive and accusative: bedeniniz + -i → bedeninizi. So: Bedeninizi bilmeden tişört almak zor. You can also emphasize ownership: kendi bedeninizi.

Do I need to say onu in denedikten sonra to mean try it on?

It’s optional. Context already supplies the object. Both are fine: Denedikten sonra karar vermek kolay and Onu denedikten sonra karar vermek kolay.

Why is it spelled tişört with ö?

It’s the standardized Turkish spelling of the loanword from English T‑shirt. The accepted form is tişört (also Tişört at sentence start).