Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kadın gazeteyi bırakıp toplantıya girdi. - The woman put down the newspaper and entered the meeting.

The suffix -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp is a converb that links two verbs done by the same subject and usually means “and then” or “after doing X.” So bırakıp here means “(she) put it down and then…”. It tightly connects the actions and highlights the second, finite verb (girdi).

Why is there no explicit “and” (ve)?

Turkish often uses the -ıp converb instead of ve to chain actions. You could say Kadın gazeteyi bıraktı ve toplantıya girdi, which is correct, but Kadın gazeteyi bırakıp toplantıya girdi is more compact and tends to imply a closer, immediate sequence.

Why is gazeteyi in the accusative?

Because bırakmak takes a direct object, and the accusative -(y)i marks it as definite/specific: “the newspaper.” If you meant a non-specific object, you’d typically leave it bare or use bir without accusative, e.g., bir gazete. Using gazeteyi suggests a particular newspaper known in the context.

How is gazeteyi formed morphologically?

It’s gazete + (y)I. Since the noun ends in a vowel, the buffer consonant y appears: gazete + y + i → gazeteyi. Vowel harmony picks i (from the four-way set ı/i/u/ü) because the last vowel in gazete is e.

Why is it toplantıya and not something else?

Because girmek (“to enter”) takes the dative case -(y)A. So toplantı + (y)A → toplantıya (buffer y because the noun ends in a vowel, and vowel harmony chooses a since the last vowel is ı).

Can I say toplantıyı girdi?

No. Girmek selects the dative, not the accusative. The correct form is toplantıya girdi. If you mean “attended the meeting,” another common verb is katılmak: toplantıya katıldı.

What tense is girdi, and how is it formed?

It’s simple past: gir + -DI → girdi. The past suffix varies with vowel harmony (-dı/-di/-du/-dü) and surfaces as -ti after voiceless consonants (e.g., bak-tı), but here the stem ends in a voiced consonant (r), so it’s -di.

Does -ıp indicate the order of actions?

Yes. The action in the -ıp clause happens before the main verb. Compare: Kadın gazeteyi bırakıp toplantıya girdi (she put it down, then entered) vs. Kadın toplantıya girip gazeteyi bıraktı (she entered first, then put it down).

What’s the difference between -ıp and -arak/-erek (e.g., bırakarak)?

-ıp usually indicates sequential actions: “did X, and then did Y.”
-arak/-erek often implies simultaneity or manner: “by/while doing X, did Y.” So bırakarak toplantıya girdi suggests entering as/while putting it down, whereas bırakıp toplantıya girdi is clearly “put it down, then entered.”

Why is it bırakıp and not bırakip or bırakip?

Vowel harmony. The converb is -Ip with four variants: -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp, chosen according to the last vowel of the stem. With bırak- (last vowel a), the correct form is -ıp → bırakıp.

Is Kadın “the woman” or “a woman”?

Turkish has no articles. As a subject without bir, kadın is typically understood as a specific/known woman (“the woman” from context). To make it clearly indefinite, use bir kadın.

Could I say gazetesini instead of gazeteyi?

Yes, but it changes the meaning. Gazetesini = “her newspaper” (possessed by her). Gazeteyi = “the newspaper” (definite, but not explicitly her own). Both can be correct depending on what you want to convey.

Does girmek mean “to join a meeting” in the modern sense?

Yes. Toplantıya girmek can mean “to enter/join a meeting,” including “to log into a meeting.” If you want to stress participation rather than the act of entering, toplantıya katılmak (“to attend”) is common.

Can the subject change between the -ıp clause and the main clause?

No; -ıp assumes the same subject for both actions. If the subject changes, use a different structure, e.g., Kadın gazeteyi bıraktıktan sonra müdür toplantıya girdi (“After the woman put the newspaper down, the manager entered the meeting”).

Can I chain more than two actions with -ıp?

Yes. You can stack them: Kadın gazeteyi bırakıp ayağa kalkıp toplantıya girdi (“She put the newspaper down, stood up, and entered the meeting”). Keep the chain short for readability.

Could I just use two full verbs with ve instead of -ıp?

Yes: Kadın gazeteyi bıraktı ve toplantıya girdi. This is perfectly fine. The -ıp version is a bit tighter and often feels more natural when describing quick, sequential actions.