Learn Hardcore Turkish: Mahalleli parkta birlikte çay içiyor. - The locals are drinking tea together in the park.

It comes from mahalle (neighborhood) + the suffix -li (“with/of/from”), so mahalleli literally means “someone from the neighborhood,” i.e., a local/resident. In this sentence it functions as a noun meaning “the neighborhood residents” or simply “the locals.” It can also be used adjectivally (e.g., mahalleli esnaf “local shopkeepers”).

If it refers to multiple people, why is the verb singular içiyor and not plural içiyorlar?

Turkish often uses a third-person singular verb with plural human subjects, especially when the subject is a collective noun like mahalleli. Both are acceptable:

Mahalleli … içiyor. (neutral, collective feel)
Mahalleli … içiyorlar. (also fine; emphasizes the plurality/individuals) You’ll also see plural marking on the subject: Mahalleliler … içiyor(lar).

Should I say Mahalleliler instead of Mahalleli?

Both are correct, but there’s a nuance:

Mahalleli (collective) = “the neighborhood residents” as a group.
Mahalleliler (explicit plural) = “the residents (as individuals).” With Mahalleliler, many speakers prefer a plural verb (içiyorlar), though singular is still grammatically possible.

What does the -ta in parkta mean?

It’s the locative case suffix -DA (“in/at/on”), shaped by vowel harmony and consonant assimilation:

Vowel harmony picks -da/-de (back/front).
After a voiceless consonant (like k, p, t, ç), d devoices to t. Hence: park
- -ta → parkta = “in/at the park.”

Does parkta mean “in the park” or “at the park”? Why no article?

It can mean either “in the park” or “at the park.” Turkish has no articles like “a/the,” so definiteness comes from context. Here, parkta just locates the action at/in the park.

Could I say parka instead of parkta?

No—the meaning changes:

parka = “to the park” (direction, dative case)
parkta = “in/at the park” (location, locative case) Your sentence needs location, so parkta is correct.

What does birlikte mean? Is it the same as ile or beraber?

Birlikte means “together.” It’s similar to beraber (more colloquial) and to the phrase X ile birlikte = “together with X.” In this sentence birlikte is an adverb (“together”). You could also say beraber with the same meaning.

Why is there no accusative -ı/-i on çay? Shouldn’t it be çayı?

In Turkish, an indefinite direct object is unmarked:

çay içiyor = “(they are) drinking tea” (some tea, tea in general)
çayı içiyor = “(they are) drinking the tea” (specific/previously mentioned tea) So the bare çay is correct for an unspecific object.

What tense/aspect is içiyor? Could I use içer instead?

İçiyor is the present progressive (-Iyor) = “is/are drinking (now or around now).”
İçer is the aorist (-r) and expresses habits/general truths:

Mahalleli … çay içer = “The locals drink tea (habitually).”
Use içiyor for an ongoing action; use içer for a habitual.

Can I move birlikte around in the sentence?

Yes, adverbs are flexible. Neutral/default flow is Subject + Place + Manner + Object + Verb:

Mahalleli parkta birlikte çay içiyor. (default) You can shift for emphasis:
Mahalleli birlikte parkta çay içiyor. (emphasis on “together”)
Mahalleli parkta çayı birlikte içiyor. (emphasis on drinking it together)

How do I make this sentence negative or a yes–no question?

Negative: Mahalleli parkta birlikte çay içmiyor. (“The locals aren’t drinking tea together in the park.”)
Question: Mahalleli parkta birlikte çay içiyor mu? (“Are the locals drinking tea together in the park?”) Note the separate question particle mu/mi/mu/mü, which follows vowel harmony.

Is there any difference if I say Mahalleli parkta birlikte çayı içiyor?

Yes. Çayı (accusative) makes the tea definite/specific: “They are drinking the tea (that we already know about), together, in the park.” Without the accusative, it’s unspecific tea.

How is içiyor built morphologically?

Stem iç- (drink) + progressive -iyor (the -I harmonizes with the preceding vowel) → içiyor. There’s no separate personal ending for third-person singular, so the form is just içiyor.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

Mahalleli: ha-hal-le-LI (stress usually near the end; the double “l” is clearly articulated).
parkta: PARK-ta (short, crisp k and t).
birlikte: bir-lik-TE (clear final stress).
çay: like “chai.”
içiyor: i-CHI-yor (ç as “ch,” y is consonantal, o is short).