Ofise girer girmez telefonu sessiz moda alıyorum.

As soon as I enter the office, I put my phone on silent mode.

Breakdown of Ofise girer girmez telefonu sessiz moda alıyorum.

• ofis: the office
• telefon: the phone
• sessiz moda almak: to put on silent mode
• girer girmez: as soon as

Questions & Answers about Ofise girer girmez telefonu sessiz moda alıyorum.

What does the sequence girer girmez mean, and how is it built?

It means as soon as (someone) enters. It’s a fixed temporal pattern formed by:

• the aorist form of the verb: gir-er (enter + aorist)
• immediately followed by the negative aorist: gir-mez

So: gir-er gir-mez = as soon as (someone) enters.

More examples:

• gelir gelmez = as soon as (someone) comes
• yapar yapmaz = as soon as (someone) does
• çıkar çıkmaz = as soon as (someone) goes out

The negative part here does not negate the meaning; it’s just the conventional way Turkish expresses “as soon as.”

Why is it girer (aorist) in the first part but alıyorum (present continuous) in the main clause?

Because girer girmez is a set temporal construction that uses the aorist, while the main clause’s tense is chosen for the intended meaning. Here alıyorum presents a current/regular habit. You could also say alırım (aorist) to sound more timelessly habitual or general. Both are correct; the nuance differs slightly:

• alıyorum = this is what I typically do these days / in my current routine
• alırım = this is what I (always) do as a rule

Can I say Ofise girer girmez telefonu sessiz moda alırım instead?

Yes. That version is perfectly natural and a bit more “rule-like/habitual.” The original with alıyorum emphasizes a current, ongoing habit.

Why is it telefonu and not just telefon?

Because it’s a definite direct object. Turkish marks definite objects with the accusative:

• telefon = a/any phone (indefinite)
• telefonu = the phone (definite)
• telefonumu = my phone (definite + possessive)

Since you’re putting a specific, context-known phone on silent, Turkish expects the accusative.

Should it be telefonumu (my phone) instead of telefonu?

Both are possible:

• telefonu = “the phone” (often understood as “my phone” from context)
• telefonumu = explicitly “my phone”

In everyday speech, people often omit the possessive when it’s obvious, but telefonumu is also very natural and a bit clearer.

What exactly does sessiz moda almak mean? Doesn’t almak mean “to take”?

Literally it’s “to take [something] to silent mode,” but idiomatically it means to set/put something into silent mode. Turkish frequently uses the pattern X’i Y’e almak to mean “put/set X into Y (state).”

Common alternatives:

• telefonu sessize almak = to mute/put the phone on silent (very common)
• uçak moduna almak = to switch to airplane mode

Can I say telefonu sessize alıyorum instead of sessiz moda alıyorum?

Yes. Telefonu sessize alıyorum is extremely common and natural. It can mean “I mute the phone” or “I put it on silent.” Sessiz moda makes the “mode” idea explicit; sessize is a bit more general but fully idiomatic.

Why is it moda and not modu?

Because -a/-e is the dative, which marks the target state or destination: you are putting the phone “into” silent mode. Modu would be accusative (definite object) and is not correct in this change-of-state construction.

Parallel pattern:

• duvarı maviye boyadım = I painted the wall blue (to blue)
• telefonu sessize/moda aldım = I set the phone to silent/silent mode

Is the apostrophe needed in Ofise (like Ofis’e)?

No. Apostrophes are used with proper nouns (e.g., İstanbul’a). Ofis is a common noun, so you write ofise without an apostrophe. The ending -e is the dative “to the office,” chosen by vowel harmony (last vowel of “ofis” is front, so -e, not -a).

Can the word order change?

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible. Some natural options:

• Ofise girer girmez telefonu sessiz moda alıyorum.
• Telefonu, ofise girer girmez, sessiz moda alıyorum.
• Ofise girer girmez, telefonu sessize alıyorum. (comma optional; see below)

Keep ofise close to girer (they belong together). Girer girmez ofise sounds off.

Do I need a comma after girer girmez?

It’s optional. Many writers put a comma after an initial adverbial clause:

• Ofise girer girmez, telefonu sessiz moda alıyorum. No comma is also acceptable in a short sentence like this.

Does girer girmez imply the same subject as the main clause?

By default, yes—the subject is understood to be the same as the main clause’s subject. If you want different subjects, make them explicit:

• O ofise girer girmez, ben telefonu sessize alıyorum. = As soon as he/she enters the office, I mute the phone. You can also use -ince/-ınca participles (e.g., o ofise girince) when needed.

Can I use girince instead of girer girmez?

You can, but the nuance changes:

• Ofise girince… = when/whenever I enter the office (not necessarily instantly)
• Ofise girer girmez… = the very moment I enter the office (immediacy)

How would I say this about a single past event?

Use a past-tense main clause:

• Ofise girer girmez telefonu sessize aldım. = As soon as I entered the office, I put the phone on silent.

You can also say:

• Ofise girer girmez telefonu sessiz moda aldım.

Why not girmez girmez?

Because the pattern is specifically “aorist positive + negative aorist.” The first verb stays positive (e.g., girer), and the second takes -maz/-mez. Girmez girmez would literally mean “as soon as (someone) doesn’t enter,” which doesn’t make sense.

Any quick pronunciation tips for girer girmez and moda?

• girer girmez: both i are like the “ee” in “see”; e is like “e” in “bed”; the r is tapped slightly; z is voiced.
• moda: the o is like “o” in “short”; a is like “a” in “father.”