Learn Hardcore Turkish: Benim erken çıkmam lazım; siz devam edebilirsiniz.

Because the verb is turned into a noun phrase: “my leaving early is necessary.” In Turkish, such nominalized clauses take the subject in the genitive (Benim) and the verb with a possessive suffix (çıkmam). So:

Benim erken çıkmam lazım = It is necessary that my leaving early happen. Using Ben (nominative) would be for a finite verb: Ben erken çıkıyorum.

What exactly is çıkmam here?

It’s a verbal noun: çık-ma-m = “my leaving/going out,” with:

çık- (leave/go out) + -ma (verbal-noun suffix) + -m (1st person singular possessive). Note: the form çıkmam can also mean “I don’t leave” (negative aorist) in other contexts, but with lazım plus a genitive subject (Benim) it must be the verbal noun meaning “my leaving.”

Is “Ben erken çıkmam lazım” grammatical?

No. With lazım, the verb must be nominalized and the subject marked as a possessor:

Correct: Benim erken çıkmam lazım.
Incorrect: Ben erken çıkmam lazım.

Do I have to say Benim? Can I drop it?

You can drop it because the -m on çıkmam already shows the subject is “I”:

Erken çıkmam lazım. Including Benim adds clarity or emphasis (e.g., contrasting with others).

How would this structure look with other persons?

Senin erken çıkman lazım. (You, singular informal)
Onun erken çıkması lazım. (He/She)
Bizim erken çıkmamız lazım. (We)
Sizin erken çıkmanız lazım. (You plural/polite)
Onların erken çıkmaları lazım. (They)

Why is lazım used? What about gerek, gerekiyor, -malı, zorunda?

All express necessity with nuances:

lazım: common, neutral-colloquial necessity.
gerek / gerekiyor: slightly more formal; gerekiyor feels ongoing/actual (progressive).
-malı/-meli (Erken çıkmalıyım): speaker’s assessment/recommendation; a bit subjective.
zorunda (Erken çıkmak zorundayım): strong, unavoidable obligation (“must”).

Does lazım take personal endings? Why not “lazımım”?

No. lazım is impersonal. Person is shown on the nominalized verb (çıkmam/çıkman/çıkması…). You never inflect lazım for person.

How do I make negatives and questions with this pattern?

Not necessary: Erken çıkmam lazım değil.
No need: Erken çıkmama gerek yok. (Note the dative on -ma: -mA + -A)
Yes/no question: Erken çıkmam lazım mı? / Erken çıkmam gerekiyor mu?

How do I say “I must not leave early” (prohibition) versus “It’s not necessary to leave early”?

Prohibition: Erken çıkmamalıyım. or Erken çıkmamam gerekiyor. (don’t do it)
Not necessary: Erken çıkmam lazım değil. or Erken çıkmama gerek yok. (no need)

Why use çıkmak? Could I say gitmek or ayrılmak instead?

çıkmak: “go out/exit/leave,” especially a place/building/meeting.
gitmek: “go” (directional; less about exiting).
ayrılmak: “leave/part from” (more formal/literary). All can work depending on nuance: Erken ayrılmam lazım is also fine.

How do I say from where I’m leaving?

Use the ablative (-den/-dan):

Ofisten/dersten/evden erken çıkmam lazım. = I need to leave early from the office/class/home.

Why is it siz and not sen? Can I omit siz?

siz is plural or polite singular (“you” formal).
sen is singular informal. You can omit the pronoun; the ending tells you the subject:
Devam edebilirsiniz. (you.pl/polite can continue)
Devam edebilirsin. (you.sg informal can continue)

What does edebilirsiniz mean morphologically?

devam et-ebil-ir-siniz:

devam et- (to continue)
-ebil- (potential: can/may)
-ir (aorist marker used with -ebil for present-time general ability/permission)
-siniz (2nd person plural/polite)

Why not just “devam edersiniz”?

Devam edersiniz = you (generally/usually) continue (statement of habit or neutral future).
Devam edebilirsiniz = you can/may continue (ability or permission). That fits the intent here.

What’s the difference between “Devam edebilirsiniz” and the imperative “Devam edin”?

Devam edebilirsiniz: polite permission/possibility (“you can/may continue”).
Devam edin: polite imperative/request (“please continue”). It’s a bit more directing than granting permission.

Is the semicolon normal here? Could I use other connectors?

Yes. You could also write:

Benim erken çıkmam lazım, siz devam edebilirsiniz.
Benim erken çıkmam lazım; ama siz devam edebilirsiniz. (…but…) All are fine stylistic choices.

Where should erken go? Can I move it?

Place time adverbs before the verb/nominalized verb they modify:

Benim erken çıkmam lazım is standard. Placing erken elsewhere (e.g., Benim çıkmam erken lazım) is ungrammatical or sounds wrong.

Is there a difference between erken and çabuk?

Yes:

erken = early (relative to time/schedule): Erken çıkmam lazım.
çabuk = quickly/fast (manner): Çabuk çıkmam lazım would mean “I need to leave quickly,” not “early.”

Can I say “Ben erken çıkıp siz devam edebilirsiniz”?

No, because -ip (“and then”) chains verbs that share the same subject. Here the subjects differ (I vs you). Use coordination instead:

Ben erken çıkacağım; siz devam edebilirsiniz.
Ben erken çıkayım, siz devam edin. (proposal + imperative)