Learn Hardcore Turkish: Zil çalıp duruyor, kimse kapıyı açmıyor. - The bell keeps ringing; nobody is opening the door.

It means the bell keeps on ringing persistently, often with a sense of annoyance or insistence. Plain çalıyor is neutral “is ringing,” while çalıp duruyor suggests “keeps ringing (and won’t stop).”

How does the suffix "-ıp" work in "çalıp duruyor"?

-ıp/-ip/-up/-üp is a converb (non-finite verb form) that links verbs with the same subject. It often corresponds to “and (then)” or “by V‑ing.”
Here: çal-ıp dur-uyor ≈ “ringing and (thus) continuing,” which idiomatically reads as “keeps ringing.”
You’ll see it in action-chain sentences too: oturup konuştuk “we sat down and talked.”

Is "duruyor" literally “stopping”? Why does it mean “keep on”?

Turkish durmak is “to stand/stay/continue” as well as “to stop.” In the construction V-ıp durmak, it’s an aspectual auxiliary meaning “to keep on doing V,” often implying irritation. Compare:

Zil çalıyor, durmuyor. “The bell is ringing; it isn’t stopping.” (Two separate predicates.)
Zil çalıp duruyor. “The bell keeps ringing.” (Single aspectual construction.)

What’s the difference between "Zil çalıyor" and "Zili çalıyor"?

Zil çalıyor: “The bell is ringing.” Here, zil is the subject.
Zili çalıyor: “He/She is ringing the bell.” Here, zili is a definite object (accusative). Note: çalmak also means “to play (an instrument)” and “to steal,” but with zil, contextually it’s “ring (a bell).”

Why is it "kapıyı" and not just "kapı"?

kapıyı is the accusative form of kapı (“door”), used for a definite direct object: “the door.”
Turkish marks definiteness on direct objects with accusative. Without it (kapı), the object is indefinite/generic (“a door/doors” in general), which would not fit this specific context.

Could I say "Kapı açılmıyor" instead of "Kimse kapıyı açmıyor"?

Yes, but it shifts to the passive:

Kimse kapıyı açmıyor. Active: “No one is opening the door.”
Kapı açılmıyor. Passive: “The door is not being opened / The door won’t open.” Use the passive if the doer is unknown/irrelevant; use the active if you want to stress “no one.”

How does "kimse" behave with negation?

With a negative verb, kimse means “nobody/no one.” Hence: Kimse … açmıyor.
In questions/conditionals, kimse means “anyone.” E.g., Kimse var mı? “Is there anyone?”
For emphasis, add hiç: Hiç kimse kapıyı açmıyor.

Should the verb be plural with "kimse"? Is "Kimse kapıyı açmıyorlar" ever right?

Use third-person singular: Kimse kapıyı açmıyor. Plural agreement (-lar) is not used with kimse in standard Turkish.

Why is the negation on the verb (açmıyor) instead of using "değil"?

Verbal predicates take the negative suffix -mA (here realized as -mI- before -yor): aç-mı-yor.
değil negates nominal/adjectival predicates: Kapı açık değil “The door is not open.”

Can I change the word order, like "Kapıyı kimse açmıyor"?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible, and elements placed right before the verb are in focus.

Kimse kapıyı açmıyor. Focus on “no one.”
Kapıyı kimse açmıyor. Focus on “the door (as for the door), no one opens it.” Both are natural, with slightly different emphasis.

Is the comma correct here? Could I use "ama" or "ve"?

Yes, the comma is fine. Alternatives:

Zil çalıp duruyor ama kimse kapıyı açmıyor. “... but no one is opening...”
Zil çalıp duruyor ve kimse kapıyı açmıyor. “... and no one is opening...” (weaker contrast) A semicolon also works: ...; kimse kapıyı açmıyor.

Other ways to say “keeps ringing”?

sürekli çalıyor — keeps ringing/constantly ringing
durmadan çalıyor — ringing non-stop
çalmaya devam ediyor — continues to ring
Colloquial/emphatic: çalıyor da çalıyor — it just keeps ringing and ringing
Slightly annoyed: çalıp duruyor (your sentence)

What’s the difference between "açmıyor" and "açmaz"?

açmıyor: present continuous negative — “is not opening (now/around now).”
açmaz: aorist/habitual negative — “(generally) doesn’t open / won’t open (as a rule).” E.g., Zil çalınca kimse kapıyı açmaz = “When the bell rings, nobody opens the door (as a habit).”

Any pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?

ç = “ch” in “chop.”
ı (dotless i) in çalıp, açmıyor, kapıyı is a back, unrounded vowel; think of a relaxed “uh.”
y is a glide, as in “yes”: kapı-yı is “ka-pı-yı.”
-ıyor/-ıyor in açmıyor and duruyor are pronounced with a clear “y” glide: a-CHM-yor, du-RU-yor.

Can you break down the morphology of the sentence?

Zil — “bell” (subject)
çal-ıp — çal “ring/play” + -ıp converb “ringing (and)”
dur-uyor — dur “stay/continue” + -uyor present continuous “is …-ing”
kimse — “no one/nobody”
kapı-yı — kapı “door” + buffer -y-
- -ı accusative (definite object)
aç-mı-yor — aç “open” + -mı- negation (allomorph of -mA before -yor) + -yor present continuous

Could I use "çalınca" or "çalarken" instead of "çalıp duruyor"?

çalınca = “when it rings” (trigger/condition). Best for habitual truths with aorist: Zil çalınca kimse kapıyı açmaz.
çalarken = “while it is ringing.” For ongoing situations: Zil çalarken kimse kapıyı açmıyor. They don’t carry the same “annoying persistence” nuance as çalıp duruyor.

Can I express “no one’s opening” without "kimse"?

Yes:

Kapıyı açan yok. “There’s no one opening the door.”
Kapıyı açacak kimse yok. “There’s no one to open the door.” These use existential var/yok instead of a negative verb.

Does "-ıp" require the same subject on both verbs?

Yes. In Zil çalıp duruyor, the subject of both çal- and dur- is zil. If subjects differ, you can’t use -ıp; you’d need another structure (e.g., a new clause, ve/ama, or a different linker).