Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kıyıdaki bankta dinlenince daha iyi oldum. - I felt better after resting on the bench by the shore.

kıyı = shore/edge (of the sea, lake, river, etc.)
-da/de = locative case “at/on/in” → kıyıda = “at the shore”
-ki = “the one that is …” (turns a locative phrase into an adjective/relative) So kıyıdaki means “the one that is at the shore,” i.e., “the shore-side” or “that’s on/by the shore.” Example: evdeki anahtar = “the key that’s at home.”

Why is it bankta and not bankda or bankte?

The locative suffix is underlying -DA, which:

follows vowel harmony for A: back vowel → a, front vowel → e
and the initial d becomes t after a voiceless consonant (like k, p, t, ç). Since bank has a back vowel (a) and ends with voiceless k, you get -ta: bankta.

Does bank mean a financial bank?

In Turkish:

bank = a bench (like a park bench).
banka = a financial bank. So bankta = “on the bench,” while bankada = “at the bank (institution).”

What does dinlenince mean and how is it built?

It’s from the verb dinlenmek (“to rest”). The suffix -ince/-ınca/-ünce/-unca forms an adverbial clause meaning “when/once/after (doing).”

dinlen- (rest) + -ince → dinlenince = “when I rested / upon resting.”

Who is the subject of dinlenince here? Why is there no ben?

Turkish is pro-drop: the subject is often omitted because verb endings show the person. With -ince clauses, the understood subject is normally the same as the main clause’s subject. Here the main clause verb oldum is 1st person singular, so dinlenince is “when I rested.” You can add Ben for emphasis: Ben dinlenince…, but it isn’t needed.

Could I use dinlenirken instead of dinlenince?

They’re different:

dinlenince = “when/once/after I rested” (sequence: first rest, then result).
dinlenirken = “while I was resting” (simultaneous actions). Your sentence expresses a change after resting, so dinlenince fits better. Dinlenirken daha iyi oldum is possible but focuses on improvement happening during the act.

What does daha iyi oldum imply? Is it like “I felt better” or “I recovered”?

daha iyi oldum literally “I became better,” commonly used as “I felt better / I got better” (a change to a better state).
If you mean medical recovery, iyileştim = “I recovered / got well.”
If you want to emphasize feeling, kendimi daha iyi hissettim = “I felt better.”

Is a comma needed after dinlenince?

It’s optional in Turkish. You can write:

Kıyıdaki bankta dinlenince daha iyi oldum.
Kıyıdaki bankta dinlenince, daha iyi oldum. The comma can help readability in longer sentences, but it isn’t required.

Can I change the word order?

Some natural options:

Kıyıdaki bankta dinlenince daha iyi oldum. (original; very natural)
Dinlenince kıyıdaki bankta daha iyi oldum. (grammatical, but it can sound like the location modifies “became better” rather than “rested.”)
Kıyıdaki bankta dinlenince, kendimi daha iyi hissettim. (adds clarity) Keep kıyıdaki bankta adjacent to dinlenince to show you rested there.

Why not say kıyıda bankta instead of kıyıdaki bankta?

kıyıdaki bank = “the bench that is at the shore” (a neat noun phrase).
kıyıda bankta stacks two separate locatives and is clunkier. It can be understood, but kıyıdaki bankta is the idiomatic, concise way to say “on the bench by the shore.”

What’s the difference between kıyı, sahil, and kumsal?

kıyı: shore/edge of a body of water (general term).
sahil: seashore/coastline (often built-up coastal areas too).
kumsal: sandy beach. So your sentence implies a bench by the shore; if it’s a sandy beach bench, you might say kumsaldaki bank.

What tense/aspect is oldum? How would I say a general habit?

oldum is simple past (definite past) 1st person singular of olmak.
For a habitual/general statement: Dinlenince daha iyi oluyorum = “When I rest, I (tend to) feel better.”
For timeless/gnomic: Dinlenince daha iyi olurum also works, sounding a bit like a general rule.

Is -ki here the same as the standalone ki I’ve seen?

No. Two different items:

Suffix -ki (attached): forms adjectives like kıyıdaki, evdeki, dünkü.
Conjunction ki (separate word): intensifying/connecting, e.g., Öyle yorgundum ki… (“I was so tired that…”). They’re unrelated in function and spelled accordingly (attached vs separate).

Any pronunciation or common mix-ups to watch for?

kıyıdaki has the dotless ı (close back unrounded vowel). Roughly “kɯ-yɯ-DA-ki.”
Don’t confuse dinlenmek (to rest) with dinlemek (to listen). dinlenince = “when resting,” dinleyince = “when listening.”