Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bugün kontrol listesi hazırlıyorum, sonra ekibi bununla yönlendireceğim. - Today I am preparing a checklist, then I will guide the team with it.

Why is the first verb in the present continuous (hazırlıyorum) but the second in the future (yönlendireceğim)? Is mixing tenses like this normal?

Yes, it’s very natural in Turkish. The present continuous (-yor) can express an action happening now or a planned/ongoing task for “today,” while the future (-ecek/-acak) points to a subsequent, clearly future step. So you’re essentially saying: “Today I’m (working on/going to be) preparing a checklist; after that, I will guide the team.” You could also say Bugün kontrol listesi hazırlayacağım to emphasize the future plan for the first part, but hazırlıyorum suggests it’s underway or firmly scheduled for today.

Would Bugün kontrol listesini hazırlıyorum also be correct? When do I add the accusative -i to “kontrol listesi”?

Both are correct but mean different things:

Kontrol listesi hazırlıyorum = “I’m preparing a checklist” (indefinite, not a specific known one). In Turkish, indefinite direct objects are typically unmarked (no accusative).
Kontrol listesini hazırlıyorum = “I’m preparing the checklist” (a specific one you and the listener know about).

So you add -i when the object is definite/specific.

Do I need to include bir: Bugün bir kontrol listesi hazırlıyorum?

It’s optional. Bir highlights the “one/a single” sense and can sound a bit more specific or new information. Without bir, it’s still clearly indefinite in this context. Both are natural:

Bugün kontrol listesi hazırlıyorum.
Bugün bir kontrol listesi hazırlıyorum.

Why does it say kontrol listesi with -si at the end? What is that suffix?

That’s the standard Turkish indefinite noun compound (izafet): Noun1 + Noun2-(s)I. It marks a close noun–noun relationship like “control list,” “shopping list,” etc.

kontrol listesi (control + list-3sg.poss)
alışveriş listesi (shopping + list-3sg.poss)

It’s not possession in English terms; it’s how Turkish forms indefinite compounds. A fully possessed/genitive version would be different (e.g., kontrolün listesi = “the list of the control,” which is not what we mean here).

Why is it ekibi (with -i accusative) and not just ekip?

Because it’s a definite object: “the team.” In Turkish, definite direct objects take the accusative:

ekibi yönlendireceğim = I will guide the team (definite). If you wanted an indefinite object, you’d use bir and drop the accusative:
bir ekip yönlendireceğim = I will guide a team (indefinite).

Does ekibi mean “my team”?

No. Ekibi means “the team” (definite). “My team” as an object would be ekibimi (ekip + 1sg possessive + accusative). As a subject/possessed noun it’s ekibim = “my team.”

What exactly is bununla? Why not bunu or bu ile?

bununla = “with this.” It’s the comitative/instrumental formed with -la/-le attached to the demonstrative “bu.” The form is irregular: bu + (n) + la → bununla (you’ll also hear the colloquial bunla).
bunu is the accusative of “bu” and means “this (as a direct object),” not “with this.”
bu ile is grammatical but sounds stilted; in normal speech/writing, you use the fused form bununla (or colloquial bunla).

Where can I place bununla in the sentence? Does word order change the meaning?

You can move it for emphasis/rhythm:

Sonra bununla ekibi yönlendireceğim. (Focus on “with this.”)
Sonra ekibi bununla yönlendireceğim. (Neutral; “with this” modifies how you’ll guide the team.)
Sonra ekibi yönlendireceğim bununla. (Colloquial/speaking style; end focus.)

Turkish is flexible; the main constraint is that the finite verb prefers to be near the end of the clause.

Is sonra used by itself like “then,” or should I add a conjunction like ve?

Sonra works on its own as “then/afterwards,” and that’s the most natural choice. Ve sonra is possible but often redundant or slightly clunky. You can also use:

daha sonra = “later on”
ardından/akabinde = “after that/thereafter” (more formal)
ondan sonra = “after that” (explicitly refers back)

Could I connect the two actions with -ip instead of a comma and sonra?

Yes: Bugün kontrol listesi hazırlayıp ekibi bununla yönlendireceğim.
The converb -ip links sequential actions with the same subject (“I”), meaning “by/after doing X, I will do Y.” Adding sonra is optional with -ip but usually unnecessary.

How are hazırlıyorum and yönlendireceğim formed?

hazırlıyorum: root hazırla-
- present continuous -(I)yor
  - 1sg -um → the linking vowel harmonizes: hazırlıyorum.
yönlendireceğim: root yönlendir-
- future -ecek (front vowel harmony) + 1sg -im → yönlendireceğim. The written form shows vowel harmony and standard spelling with -ecek + -im → -eceğim.

Why does ekip become ekibi (p → b)?

That’s consonant softening (lenition) that often happens when a word ending in a “fortis” consonant (p, ç, t, k) takes a vowel-initial suffix. So:

ekip
- -i → ekibi
kitap
- -ı → kitabı No softening occurs with consonant-initial suffixes (e.g., ekipte “in the team” stays with p).

What’s the little -n- in bununla?

It’s a buffer consonant used when attaching -la/-le (or the postposition ile) to certain pronouns/demonstratives to make pronunciation smooth:

bu + (n) + la → bununla
Similarly: şununla, onunla. (Colloquially: bunla/şunla/onunla also occur.) It prevents awkward vowel–vowel contact and follows established idiomatic forms for these pronouns.