Learn Hardcore Turkish: Zımba bozulunca kadın, dosyaları geçici olarak klasöre koydu. - When the stapler broke, the woman temporarily put the files into a folder.

-ınca/-ince/-unca/-ünce is a temporal converb meaning when/once/after an event happens.
It attaches to the verb stem and follows vowel harmony: bozul-
- -unca → bozulunca.
It marks a background time clause and implies sequence: first the stapler broke, then she acted.

Could I say bozulduğunda or bozulduğu zaman instead of bozulunca?

Yes. All are correct:

bozulunca = when/once it broke (natural, concise).
bozulduğunda = when it broke (slightly more formal/literary).
bozulduğu zaman = at the time when it broke (explicit, a bit heavier). Meaning is the same; register and style differ.

What’s the difference between bozulunca and bozulursa?

bozulunca = when/once it breaks (actual event; temporal).
bozulursa = if it breaks (hypothetical; conditional). So: Zımba bozulunca… describes a real occurrence; Zımba bozulursa… sets a condition.

Who is the subject of bozulunca?

The subject is zımba (stapler). In Turkish, the subject of a subordinate clause usually appears right before that clause: Zımba bozulunca… = When the stapler broke…

Why is it zımba, not zımbayı, before bozulunca?

Because zımba is the subject of the subordinate clause and subjects are unmarked (no accusative). Zımbayı would be accusative (a direct object). Compare:

Zımba bozulunca… = When the stapler broke…
Zımbayı bozunca… = When (she) broke the stapler… (now the woman is the breaker)

Why are there no words for “the” or “a” before zımba and kadın?

Turkish has no articles. Specificity is inferred from context or marked in other ways (like accusative on objects). If you needed “a,” you’d use bir: bir kadın = a woman. Here, kadın reads as “the woman” from context.

Why does dosyaları have the -ı ending?

It’s the accusative marker showing a definite/specific direct object:

dosyaları = the files (object is specific). Without it, it would mean “some files” (non-specific): dosya koydu.

Does dosyaları mean “her files” here?

No. In this sentence dosyaları is the non-possessive plural with accusative: the files.
To say “her files” as an object, you’d use the possessed accusative: dosyalarını (e.g., Kadın, dosyalarını klasöre koydu). Even more explicit: Kadın, kendi dosyalarını…

What does klasöre with -e express?

The dative -e/-a marks the target: to/into something. With verbs like koymak (to put), the dative typically means into:

klasöre koydu = put (them) into the folder/binder. If you want to emphasize “inside,” you can say klasörün içine koydu.

Is klasör a physical binder or a computer folder?

Both, depending on context:

Office supply: a binder/ring binder.
Computing: a folder/directory. Given dosyaları and koydu, either reading is plausible; context decides.

Can geçici olarak be placed elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible. These are all natural:

Kadın, dosyaları geçici olarak klasöre koydu.
Kadın, dosyaları klasöre geçici olarak koydu.
Kadın, geçici olarak dosyaları klasöre koydu. Positioning changes emphasis, not meaning.

Can I drop olarak and just say geçici?

Generally no; geçici is an adjective. To modify the verb, use geçici olarak. Colloquial alternatives:

şimdilik = for now
bir süreliğine = for a while

Is the comma after kadın correct?

The more standard punctuation is:

Zımba bozulunca, kadın dosyaları geçici olarak klasöre koydu. Comma after the introductory subordinate clause is common. The comma after kadın is usually unnecessary unless you’re inserting a parenthetical or special emphasis.

What’s the nuance of bozulmak vs. kırılmak?

bozulmak = to break down, malfunction, go bad (devices, systems, food).
kırılmak = to break in the sense of snapping/shattering (glass, pencil). A stapler bozulur (stops working); a glass kırılır (shatters).

Why is it koydu, not koydı?

Past tense -DI follows vowel harmony and voicing:

koy-
- -du → koydu (back vowel → u, and after a vowel the consonant stays d, not t). Examples: geldi, yaptı, koydu.

How do I pronounce the dotted and dotless i in words like zımba and kadın?

ı (dotless i) ≈ close back unrounded vowel, like a relaxed “uh”: zımba ≈ zuhmbah, kadın ≈ kah-duhn.
i (dotted i) ≈ “ee” in “see.” Also note ö in klasör ≈ German ö or French eu.

Could I use bozulurken instead of bozulunca?

Different meaning:

bozulunca = when/once it broke (after completion).
bozulurken = while it was breaking (during the process). In this context, bozulunca fits better.

Does bozulunca ever imply “because”?

Primarily it’s temporal (“when/once”), but in real-life usage it can carry a light causal flavor (“since the stapler broke…”). Here the main reading is temporal; the action follows the breakdown.

Are there more natural alternatives to geçici olarak?

Yes, depending on tone:

şimdilik (for now): Kadın, dosyaları şimdilik klasöre koydu.
bir süreliğine (for a while)
geçici bir çözüm olarak (as a temporary solution)