Learn Hardcore Turkish: Ben dosyayı her akşam yedekliyorum; iki saattir yedekleme sorunsuz sürüyor. - I back up the file every evening; the backup has been running smoothly for two hours.

No. The ending -um in yedekliyorum already marks first person singular, so Ben is optional. Using Ben adds emphasis or contrast (as in “I, not someone else”). A very natural version is simply: Dosyayı her akşam yedekliyorum.

Why is dosyayı in the accusative (-ı)? What would change if it were just dosya?

The accusative -ı/-i/-u/-ü marks a definite, specific direct object. Dosyayı means “the file (a particular one).” Without it, dosya yedekliyorum means “I back up files” (indefinite/generic). Forming it: dosya + y + ı → dosyayı (buffer y + vowel harmony from the last vowel a → ı).

Is the word order Ben dosyayı her akşam yedekliyorum fixed?

No. Turkish is flexible and uses word order for nuance:

Her akşam dosyayı yedekliyorum (time up front, common)
Dosyayı her akşam yedekliyorum (slight focus on the object)
Ben her akşam dosyayı yedekliyorum (focus on “I”) All are correct; keep the finite verb at the end.

What’s the difference between her akşam and akşamları?

Both express habitual time. Her akşam = “every evening” (explicitly every single evening). Akşamları = “in the evenings” (habitual/generic; not necessarily every single one). With routine statements, akşamları sounds very natural.

Why use the present continuous (yedekliyorum) for a habit? Shouldn’t it be the aorist (yedeklerim)?

Both work. The aorist -ir (e.g., yedeklerim) is the default for general habits and is common in careful/formal style. The present continuous -iyor (e.g., yedekliyorum) is very common in speech with time adverbs like her akşam, and suggests a current, ongoing routine (something you’re actively doing these days). Neither is wrong.

How is yedekliyorum built morphologically?

Root: yedekle- “to back up”. Progressive: -iyor-. Person ending: -um. So: yedekle + -iyor + -um → yedekliyorum. The e + i contracts naturally to give the -liyor sequence.

What does the -dir in iki saattir do?

It turns the time expression into “for two hours (up to now).” İki saattir strongly signals an action that started two hours ago and still continues—like English “for two hours” in a present-perfect-continuous context. Without -dir, iki saat can sound more like a plain duration (“two hours”) and may be read as a general statement. Note the form is saat + tir → saattir (double t is normal).

Where can I place iki saattir in the second clause?

Common placements:

İki saattir yedekleme sorunsuz sürüyor (foregrounds the duration)
Yedekleme iki saattir sorunsuz sürüyor (foregrounds the subject “backup”) Both are natural. Keep iki saattir close to the verb or subject, and keep sorunsuz near the verb it qualifies.

Why is yedekleme used as a noun? Could I just repeat the verb?

Yedekleme is a verbal noun (-me/ma) meaning “backing up/the backup (process).” In Yedekleme sorunsuz sürüyor, it’s the subject of the sentence. You could also say İki saattir yedekliyorum (“I’ve been backing up for two hours”) if you want a full verb clause instead of a noun subject.

Is sorunsuz an adverb here? Should it be sorunsuzca or sorunsuz bir şekilde?

Adjectives in Turkish can modify verbs adverbially without extra endings, so sorunsuz sürüyor is perfectly natural. Sorunsuz bir şekilde is also common and a bit more formal/explicit. Sorunsuzca exists but is much less common here.

Difference between sürüyor, devam ediyor, and gidiyor?

sürmek (“to last/continue”): Yedekleme sorunsuz sürüyor = “The backup is continuing smoothly.”
devam etmek (“to continue”): … devam ediyor is a near-synonym, slightly more formal.
gitmek (“to go”): … sorunsuz gidiyor is colloquial and evaluative (“it’s going fine”).

Is the semicolon (;) used the same way as in English here?

Yes. It links two closely related independent clauses. A period would also be fine. A comma alone would be a run-on; use a semicolon, a period, or a conjunction (e.g., ve, ama) instead.

Could I join the clauses with ve instead of a semicolon?

You can: Ben dosyayı her akşam yedekliyorum ve yedekleme iki saattir sorunsuz sürüyor. This sounds a bit more conversational. The semicolon keeps the statements parallel without implying a strong logical link.