Learn Hardcore Turkish: Planlayarak çalışırsan daha az yorulursun. - If you work by planning, you get less tired.

-arak/-erek is an adverbial participle that most often expresses manner or means: “by doing X,” “in a … way.”
Here, planlayarak = “by planning / in a planned way.”
It can also imply simultaneity (“while doing”), but in this sentence the key sense is manner: “If you work by planning, …”

Why is there a y in planlayarak?

The verb stem is planla- (“to plan”).
The suffix -arak begins with a vowel, so Turkish inserts the buffer consonant y between two vowels: planla + y + arak → planlayarak.
You’ll see the same pattern with other vowel-initial suffixes (e.g., gel-ecek → gelecek, but ara-y-acak → arayacak).

How is çalışırsan formed, exactly?

Morphology: çalış-ır-sa-n
- çalış- = verb stem “work/study”
- -ır = aorist (general/habitual)
- -sa = conditional “if”
- -n = 2nd person singular
So çalışırsan = “if you work (as a rule/whenever you do).” This aorist-based conditional states a general condition.

Why not just çalışsan instead of çalışırsan? What’s the difference?

çalışırsan (aorist + conditional) = a general or habitual condition: “if/whenever you work.”
çalışsan (stem + conditional) often sounds more hypothetical or suggestive: “if you were to work / what if you worked.”
With a result clause, çalışsan tends to pair with a hypothetical result:
- Planlayarak çalışsan, daha az yorulurdun. (“If you worked in a planned way, you would get less tired.”)
For a general truth (like in the given sentence), çalışırsan … yorulursun is the natural choice.

What does -ır/-ir/-ur/-ür (aorist) contribute in çalışırsan and yorulursun?

The aorist describes general truths, habits, or regular outcomes.
In conditionals, Turkish commonly uses aorist in both clauses to express a general rule:
- Planlayarak çalışırsan (if you work by planning), daha az yorulursun (you get less tired).
Vowel harmony picks the vowel: çalış-ır-, yorul-ur-.

Why is it yorulursun and not the negative yorulmazsın?

daha az means “less”, so the verb stays affirmative: “you get tired less.”
Using the negative would change the meaning to “you don’t get tired,” which is stronger: yorulmazsın = you won’t/don’t get tired.
For “less,” use daha az + [affirmative verb].

Could we use the future instead: yorulacaksın?

yorulursun (aorist) = general/habitual outcome.
yorulacaksın (future) = a specific future instance: “you will get tired (less) [this time/then].”
So for a timeless principle, stick with the aorist.

What’s the difference between yorulmak and yormak?

yorulmak = “to get tired” (intransitive, subject experiences the tiredness).
- Daha az yorulursun. (“You get less tired.”)
yormak = “to tire (someone)” (transitive).
- Bu iş seni yorar. (“This job tires you.”)

What’s the nuance of -arak vs -ıp/-ip in this context (e.g., planlayıp çalışırsan)?

-arak/-erek emphasizes manner/means: “work by planning,” “work in a planned way.”
-ıp/-ip often links actions in sequence or simply means “and”: planlayıp çalışırsan ≈ “if you plan and (then) work.”
Both are grammatical, but planlayarak çalışmak is the idiomatic way to express “working in a planned manner.”

Could I say planlı çalışırsan instead of planlayarak çalışırsan?

Yes. planlı çalışmak = “to work in a planned/organized way.”
Alternatives: düzenli çalışırsan, sistemli çalışırsan, planlı olarak çalışırsan.
They all fit the same meaning, with slight stylistic differences.

How does daha az work? Isn’t daha “more”?

daha forms comparatives: “more/less [adj/adv]” depending on what follows.
With az (“little/few”), daha az = “less/fewer.”
Examples: daha az yorulmak (to get less tired), daha az hata (fewer mistakes), daha az konuşmak (to talk less).

What about word order and punctuation? Does there need to be a comma?

Both orders are fine:
- Planlayarak çalışırsan, daha az yorulursun.
- Daha az yorulursun, planlayarak çalışırsan.
A comma is optional when the if-clause comes first; it’s usually added when the main clause comes first to mark the pause.

Any pronunciation or stress tips for this sentence?

Turkish generally stresses the last syllable of each word:
- planlayarak (plan-la-ya-RAK), çalışırsan (ça-lı-ŞIR-san), yorulursun (yo-ru-LUR-sun), daha (da-HA), az (AZ).
Say the vowels clearly and evenly; there’s no schwa. The ı in çalışırsan is the dotless i (close back unrounded vowel).

Does çalışmak mean “to study” as well as “to work”?

Yes. çalışmak covers both “work” and “study” depending on context.
- Ders çalışmak = to study (for classes).
- Evde çalışıyorum can mean “I’m working from home,” not studying (context clarifies).

How would I say “If you work without planning, …”?

Use the -madan/-meden “without doing” converb:
- Planlamadan çalışırsan, daha çok yorulursun.
- Here daha çok = “more,” the natural counterpart to daha az.