Learn Hardcore Turkish: Uygulamada kutucukları işaretleyerek devam et. - Continue by ticking the checkboxes in the app.

It’s the locative case, meaning “in/at/on.”
Choice of form follows two rules:
- Vowel harmony: last vowel in uygulama is back (a), so use -da (not -de).
- Consonant voicing: after a vowel or voiced consonant, use d; after a voiceless one, use t. Uygulama ends with a vowel, so -da is correct.

Why is devam et two words, and what form is et?

Devam etmek is a light-verb construction: noun devam
- verb etmek (“to do/make”), together meaning “to continue.”
It’s written as two words: devam et.
Et here is the 2nd person singular imperative (“continue!”). Polite/plural imperative is devam edin; very formal UI style is devam ediniz.

What does the -erek in işaretleyerek do?

-erek/-arak forms a converb (an adverbial verb), meaning “by doing X / while doing X / and doing X (as manner).”
So işaretleyerek = “by marking/ticking.”
It links to the main verb (devam et) and describes how that action is performed.

Why is there a y in işaretleyerek?

It’s the buffer consonant y used to prevent two vowels from clashing when adding -erek to a verb stem ending in a vowel.
Base verb: işaretle-
- -erek → işaretle-
  - y
    - -erek = işaretleyerek.

Why is kutucukları in the accusative plural?

Kutucukları = kutucuk (checkbox/small box) + -lar (plural) + -ı (definite accusative).
The accusative marks a definite/specific direct object (“the checkboxes” already known in the context).
If the object were indefinite/generic, Turkish would normally use bare singular: kutucuk işaretleyerek (“by checking (some) checkboxes”), but in instructions, the specific on-screen ones are intended.

Can you break down each word morphologically?

Uygulama-da: uygula- (apply) + -ma (nominalizer → “application/app”) + -da (locative “in”).
kutu-cuk-lar-ı: kutu (box) + -cuk (diminutive → small box) + -lar (plural) + -ı (definite accusative).
işaret-le-y-erek: işaret (mark/sign) + -le (verbalizer → “to mark”) + buffer y
- -erek (converb “by doing”).
devam et: devam (continuation) + et (light verb “do,” here imperative 2sg).

Why is it -lar (not -ler) in kutucuklar-?

Vowel harmony: the last vowel in kutucuk is back (u), so the plural suffix is -lar, not -ler.
Hence kutucuklar → kutucukları when you add the accusative.

Could I say kutucuklar (without the accusative) here?

Not as a definite direct object. In Turkish, a definite direct object takes the accusative.
Kutucuklar (without -ı) can be a subject (e.g., “The checkboxes are …”) or a topic, but for “check the checkboxes” as a specific object, you need kutucukları.
For an indefinite object, you would usually use bare singular: kutucuk işaretle…

What’s the difference between işaretleyerek and işaretleyip?

-erek/-arak emphasizes manner/means: “continue by marking.”
-ip is a neutral linker often implying sequence: “check them and (then) continue.”
Both are fine in instructions, but -erek ties the two actions more tightly as “means,” while -ip feels more like step 1 → step 2.

Could I use işaretlerken instead?

-ken means “while (doing).” İşaretlerken devam et = “continue while checking.”
It’s grammatical but sounds odd in a step-by-step instruction. UI text usually prefers -erek or -ip.
Use -ken when truly simultaneous and ongoing, not as a means of performing the next action.

How do I make the sentence polite or address multiple users?

How flexible is the word order?

Turkish tends to place adverbials/objects before the main verb phrase, with the finite verb at or near the end.
Neutral and clear: Uygulamada [locative] kutucukları [object] işaretleyerek [converb] devam et [main verb].
You can front the object for emphasis: Kutucukları uygulamada işaretleyerek devam et. Avoid putting uygulamada after devam et; that feels unnatural.

How would I say the opposite: “Continue without checking the boxes”?

Use the negative converb -meden/-madan: Uygulamada kutucukları işaretlemeden devam et.
This expresses “without doing X.”

How do I express this in other tenses/persons?

Present continuous (I): Uygulamada kutucukları işaretleyerek devam ediyorum.
Past (I): Uygulamada kutucukları işaretleyerek devam ettim.
Future (you, singular): … devam edeceksin. (Keep işaretleyerek the same.)

Is işaretlemek the only verb for UI checkboxes?

Common options:
- işaretlemek = to mark/tick/select (very standard for checkboxes).
- tiklemek (colloquial) = to tick.
- Don’t confuse with tıklamak = to click (used for mouse clicks on buttons/links, not “to tick” a checkbox).

Any orthography pitfalls I should watch for?

Write devam et as two words.
The locative -de/-da/-te/-ta is a suffix, not the separate particle de/da (“also”), which is written separately and often unstressed.
Maintain Turkish diacritics: ş, ğ, ç, ı, İ, ö, ü (e.g., işaret- starts with dotted i).