Learn Hardcore Turkish: Lavanta pervazda çok güzel kokuyor. - The lavender smells wonderful on the sill.

Lavanta = lavender (subject)
pervaz-da = on the windowsill (pervaz
- locative suffix -DA)
çok = very
güzel = nice/beautiful (used adverbially here)
kokuyor = is smelling/smells (verb root kok- “to smell (emit odor)” + progressive -uyor, 3rd person singular)

Why is it pervazda, not pervazde/pervazta/pervazte?

Locative suffix selection follows two rules:

Vowel harmony: last vowel in pervaz is back (a), so use -da/-ta (not -de/-te).
Consonant voicing: final consonant is voiced (z), so choose -da (not -ta). Hence: pervaz + da → pervazda.

What exactly does kokuyor express, and how is it different from kokar?

kokuyor = present continuous/progressive: a current, specific situation (“is smelling right now/at the moment”).
kokar = aorist/habitual: a general property or repeated fact (“smells” in general). So choose kokuyor for a present scene; kokar for a general truth.

Where is the subject pronoun? Why isn’t there an o?

Turkish drops subject pronouns by default because the verb ending shows person/number. kokuyor already means “he/she/it is smelling.” You’d add o only for emphasis or contrast; O lavanta… would mean “that lavender…”

Is güzel an adverb here? Should it be güzelce?

Turkish often uses adjectives adverbially. güzel kokuyor is natural and means “smells nice.” güzelce kokuyor is odd here. çok intensifies güzel: çok güzel kokuyor = “smells very nice.”

Is this “the lavender,” “a lavender,” or just “lavender”?

Turkish has no articles. Lavanta can be:

specific (“the lavender”) if context makes it specific,
generic/mass (“lavender”),
a single plant if context implies that. Using bir (bir lavanta) forces “a lavender (plant),” which is less common unless you mean one plant.

Can I place the parts differently?

Yes, for emphasis:

Pervazda lavanta çok güzel kokuyor (focus on location).
Lavanta pervazda çok güzel kokuyor is the neutral order. Keep çok güzel (manner) close to the verb; Lavanta çok güzel pervazda kokuyor sounds awkward.

Does pervazda modify the noun or the verb?

It mainly sets the scene for the action: the lavender (which is located on the windowsill) smells there. Native reading: “The lavender on the windowsill smells very nice.”

Other natural ways to say “on the windowsill”?

pencere pervazında = on the window’s sill (more explicit).
pervazın üzerinde/üstünde = on top of the sill.
Nearby the window (less specific to the sill): pencere kenarında / cam kenarında (“by the window”). All are correct; pervazda is concise and idiomatic.

How do I make it negative or ask a yes/no question?

Negative: Lavanta pervazda güzel kokmuyor. (“doesn’t smell nice”)
Question: Lavanta pervazda güzel kokuyor mu? (“Does it smell nice on the windowsill?”) Note the negative: kok-muyor (vowel harmony → -mıyor/-miyor/-muyor/-müyor; here it’s -muyor).

What’s the difference between kokmak and koklamak?

kokmak: to emit a smell (intransitive). Example: Lavanta güzel kokuyor.
koklamak: to sniff/smell something deliberately (transitive). Example: Lavantayı kokladım. (“I smelled/sniffed the lavender.”)

How does plural agreement work here?

Lavantalar pervazda çok güzel kokuyor. (common; verb often stays singular with non-human plural subjects)
Lavantalar … kokuyorlar. is possible but less common; plural verb is more typical with human subjects or for emphasis.

Can I say this more idiomatically?

Yes: Lavanta pervazda mis gibi kokuyor. (“smells wonderful”). Also natural: harika kokuyor, çok hoş kokuyor, nefis kokuyor.

How is kokuyor formed?

From kok- (root) + progressive -Iyor. The vowel in -Iyor harmonizes with the last vowel of the root:

After back rounded o, it becomes -uyor → kok- + -uyor = kokuyor. 3rd person singular has no extra ending beyond -yor.

Is there a noun-based way to say it?

Yes: Lavantanın kokusu pervazda çok güzel. (“The scent of the lavender is very nice on the windowsill.”) This uses the noun koku (“smell, scent”) with possessive -su.