Learn Hardcore Turkish: Toplantıda kurallara uymayınca ceza geliyor. - When you don't follow the rules in the meeting, you get a penalty.

-ınca/-ince/-unca/-ünce means “when/whenever/if,” forming a time/condition clause.
uymayınca = uy- (to comply) + -ma (negation) + -y- (buffer consonant) + -ınca (when/if). So: “when (one) doesn’t comply.”
The buffer -y- appears because the suffix begins with a vowel and the preceding element ends in a vowel; Turkish inserts y to avoid a vowel clash.
Vowel harmony picks -ınca here because the preceding vowel is back (a).

Why is it kurallara (dative) and not kuralları (accusative)?

Because the verb uymak takes the dative: you “comply to/with” something in Turkish.

Pattern: bir şeye uymak = to comply with something.
Using accusative would be wrong here. If you want an accusative object, use a different verb, e.g., kuralları ihlal etmek (to violate the rules).

Who is the understood subject of uymayınca? Is it “you,” “one,” or something else?

It’s an impersonal, generic subject: “you/one/people.” Turkish often leaves it implicit. In the main clause, the subject is ceza (“a penalty”), so the subjects of the two clauses are different, which is fine in this construction.

Why use geliyor instead of the aorist gelir?

gelir (aorist) states a general rule: “A penalty comes” (as a standing policy).
geliyor (present continuous) in this pattern sounds more conversational and immediate: “then a penalty comes” (that’s what happens). Both are correct; gelir is a bit more formal/rule-like, geliyor is common in speech.

Is ceza geliyor idiomatic? Wouldn’t it be better to say something like “a penalty is given”?

Yes, ceza geliyor is idiomatic and common in speech to mean “you get penalized.” Alternatives:

More formal/passive: ceza verilir/uygulanır (a penalty is given/applied).
Direct second person: ceza alıyorsun (you receive a penalty).
In sports talk: kart geliyor (a card comes).

Why is there no bir before ceza?

Bare ceza works well for a generic/indefinite subject (“penalty happens/comes”). Adding bir tends to point to a specific, one-off penalty: bir ceza geliyor ≈ “some particular penalty is coming.”

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible for emphasis:

Default/topic-first: Toplantıda kurallara uymayınca ceza geliyor.
Emphasizing place: Kurallara uymayınca toplantıda ceza geliyor (as opposed to elsewhere).
Result-first (spoken focus): Ceza geliyor, toplantıda kurallara uymayınca. Meaning stays, but focus shifts.

Could I explicitly say “the meeting’s rules”?

Yes:

Toplantı kurallarına uymayınca …
Toplantının kurallarına uymayınca … The original sentence relies on context to understand that the relevant rules are the meeting’s rules.

Why plural kurallara? Could I use singular kurala?

Plural is the natural, generic way to talk about “the rules” as a set. Singular kurala is grammatical but would mean one specific rule, which is less natural in a general statement.

Can I use uymadığında/uymadığınızda instead of uymayınca?

Yes. -dığında/-diğinde is another “when” form and can mark person/politeness:

uymadığında = when you (sg.) don’t comply.
uymadığınızda = when you (formal/pl.) don’t comply. These can feel a bit more explicit or formal than -ınca.

What about using the conditional -sa/-se?

That’s very common and natural:

Kurallara uymazsan(ız), ceza gelir/geliyor. This reads more like “if,” while -ınca leans to “when/whenever,” but in practice they often overlap.

Is a comma needed after the adverbial part?

No comma is required: Toplantıda kurallara uymayınca ceza geliyor. A comma is generally not used before such subordinate clauses in Turkish.

How does the locative -da/-de in Toplantıda work?

It’s the locative suffix -DA (with variants -da/-de/-ta/-te via vowel and consonant harmony). Toplantı ends with a back vowel and a voiced consonant, so it takes -da: Toplantıda = “at/in the meeting.”

Could I make the sentence passive/impersonal throughout?

Yes, very natural in formal contexts:

Toplantıda kurallara uyulmayınca ceza veriliyor/verilir. Here uyulmak is the passive of uymak, and the agent (who gives the penalty) stays unspecified.

Is uymayınca the same as the imperative uymayın?

No. uymayın = “don’t comply!” (imperative, you-pl./polite).
uymayınca = “when/if (one) doesn’t comply” (subordinate clause). Different forms and functions.

How could I add the recipient (“to you”)?

Add a dative pronoun:

Toplantıda kurallara uymayınca sana ceza geliyor. This makes the target explicit. In formal style you might still prefer the passive: … size ceza veriliyor.