Learn Hardcore Turkish: Yağmur yağıp duruyor, bu yüzden evde kalıyorum. - It keeps raining, so I am staying at home.

Yağmur yağıyor means “It’s raining” (neutral, just a fact). Yağmur yağıp duruyor means “It keeps (on) raining / It won’t let up,” highlighting persistence, continuity, and often mild annoyance. Morphology: yağ- (to rain) + -ıp (converb “V and …”) + dur- (keep on V-ing) + -uyor (progressive).

But doesn’t durmak mean “to stop”? How can duruyor mean “keeps on …-ing”?

As a main verb, durmak = “to stop/stand.” As a light (aspectual) verb after a converb, it means “to keep on doing.” Contrast:

Main verb: Otobüs durdu. = The bus stopped.
Aspectual: Çocuk ağlayıp duruyor. = The child keeps crying.
Negative of the “stop” sense: Yağmur durmuyor. = The rain isn’t stopping.

Why can’t I say yağıyor duruyor?

In Turkish, when you chain a lexical verb with an aspectual/light verb (like durmak) you need a non-finite linker such as -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp. So it must be yağıp duruyor, not two finite verbs in a row. Alternatives:

Yağmur durmadan yağıyor.
Yağmur yağmaya devam ediyor.

What exactly is the -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp ending doing, and how do I choose the vowel?

It’s a converb that links verbs (roughly “V and …”). The vowel follows harmony based on the last vowel of the stem:

After a: yağ- → yağıp, bak- → bakıp
After e/i: gel- → gelip
After o/u: koş- → koşup
After ö/ü: gör- → görüp, düş- → düşüp

Does yağıp duruyor always sound annoyed?

Often it carries a “keeps on and on” vibe, which can imply annoyance. But context matters. It can be neutral with some verbs. If you want neutrality, use options like sürekli, durmadan, or devam ediyor:

Sürekli yağmur yağıyor.
Yağmur durmadan yağıyor.
Yağmur yağmaya devam ediyor.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters here (ğ, ı, ü)?

ğ (yumuşak g): not a hard sound; it lengthens the preceding vowel. yağ ≈ “yaa.” yağıp ≈ “yaa-ıp.”
ı (dotless i): a back, unrounded vowel, like the second vowel in “roses” for many speakers. kalıyorum ≈ “ka-luh-yor-um.”
ü: like German ü or French u. yüzden ≈ “yü(z)-den.”

Why say Yağmur yağıyor (“rain rains”)? Isn’t that redundant?

It’s the normal, idiomatic way to state weather in Turkish. Other standard patterns:

Kar yağıyor. (It’s snowing.)
Rüzgâr esiyor. (It’s windy; literally “the wind is blowing.”) You can also say Yağmur var (“There is rain”) or Hava yağmurlu (“It’s rainy”), but Yağmur yağıyor is the most direct for “It’s raining.”

Can I just say Yağmur yağıyor, bu yüzden evde kalıyorum without -ıp duruyor?

Yes. That version is perfectly correct and neutral. The original with yağıp duruyor adds the sense that it won’t stop.

What does bu yüzden mean, and how does it differ from çünkü and o yüzden?

bu yüzden = “for this reason/therefore” (points to the cause just mentioned). It typically starts the result clause: … , bu yüzden …
çünkü = “because” (introduces the cause clause): Evde kalıyorum çünkü yağmur yağıyor.
o yüzden = “for that reason/therefore” (often refers to previously known or more distant info). In many contexts, bu yüzden and o yüzden are interchangeable.

What’s the difference between bu yüzden and -ın/-in yüzünden?

bu yüzden is a sentence adverb meaning “therefore/for this reason.”
yüzünden is a postposition meaning “because of (often with a blame/negative nuance).” It takes a genitive noun/pronoun:
- Yağmur yüzünden evde kalıyorum. = I’m staying home because of the rain.
- Onun yüzünden geç kaldım. = I was late because of him/her (it’s their fault).

Is the comma before bu yüzden necessary?

Recommended, yes. You’re linking two independent clauses and introducing a result with bu yüzden:

Yağmur yağıp duruyor, bu yüzden evde kalıyorum. You could also start a new sentence: Yağmur yağıp duruyor. Bu yüzden evde kalıyorum.

Can I change the word order in the second clause?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

Bu yüzden evde kalıyorum. (Neutral; reason up front.)
Evde bu yüzden kalıyorum. (Emphasizes “It’s for this reason that I’m staying at home,” contrastive.) Keep bu yüzden near the start of the result clause for the most natural flow.

What does the -de in evde do, and why -de not -da/-te/-ta?

It’s the locative case “at/in/on.” Harmony and voicing rules choose the form:

After voiced consonant or vowel: -de/-de (front/back): evde (at home), şehirde (in the city).
After voiceless consonant: -te/-ta: parkta (in the park), köyde (vowel → voiced, so -de). Vowel harmony determines e/a; consonant voicing determines d/t.

Does evde kalmak have any other meanings?

Literally it’s “to stay at home,” and that’s what it means here. Colloquially, evde kalmak can also mean “to remain unmarried” (often used for women). Context removes ambiguity in your sentence.

Why kalıyorum (present progressive) and not future like kalacağım?

Kalıyorum expresses an action happening now or around now: “I’m staying (home).” Use future for plans or future time:

Yarın yağmur bekleniyor, bu yüzden evde kalacağım. = It’s expected to rain tomorrow, so I will stay home.

Can I drop the pronoun ben?

Yes. Turkish is pro‑drop, and the ending -um in kalıyorum already encodes 1st person singular. Use Ben only for emphasis/contrast:

Ben evde kalıyorum (siz gidin). = I’m staying home (you go).

How would I negate these ideas?

Not raining: Yağmur yağmıyor.
Not staying at home: Evde kalmıyorum.
Not letting up: Yağmur dinmiyor / kesilmiyor. (“It isn’t letting up/ending.”)

What are some other natural ways to say “It keeps raining”?

Yağmur durmadan yağıyor.
Yağmur dinmiyor / kesilmiyor.
Sürekli yağmur yağıyor.
Aralıksız yağmur yağıyor.

Could I omit yağmur and just say Yağıp duruyor?

In context, yes—if it’s clear you’re talking about rain. As a standalone sentence, Yağmur yağıp duruyor is safer and more natural for introducing the topic.