Learn Hardcore Turkish: Çilek bitince muz doğrayıp aynı kaseye ekledik. - When the strawberries ran out, we sliced a banana and added it to the same bowl.

bit- (to run out/finish) + -ince → bitince = "when it ran out/when it finishes." The main verb supplies the time; here past is shown by -dik in ekledik. It often implies an immediate sequence.

Why is çilek singular with no article—does it still mean “strawberries”?

Yes. Bare singular nouns in Turkish can refer to a type or an unspecified amount. Çilek bitince naturally means "when the strawberries ran out/when we ran out of strawberry." You don’t need plural or an article for that generic/mass reading.

Can I say Çilekler bitince instead?

Grammatically yes; it suggests a specific set ("when the strawberries [we had] ran out"). For foods and supplies, the bare singular çilek is more idiomatic when you mean "strawberries" in general.

What’s the difference between bitince, bittikten sonra, and bittiğinde?

bitince: "when/once (it) finishes"—compact, colloquial, often implies quick succession.
bittikten sonra: "after it finished"—explicitly "after," a bit more formal or emphatic about sequence.
bittiğinde: "when it finished"—also fine; built with -DIĞI + -nde.

Why doesn’t muz have the accusative ending (-ı/-i)?

Because it’s an indefinite direct object. In Turkish, indefinite objects are unmarked:

Muz doğrayıp... = "We chopped (some) banana/bananas..." If it were definite/specific, you would mark it: muzu (sg) or muzları (pl).

How do I make the banana definite or plural here?

Definite singular: Muzu doğrayıp aynı kaseye ekledik.
Definite plural: Muzları doğrayıp aynı kaseye ekledik.
Indefinite “a banana”: Bir muz doğrayıp... (still no accusative).

What does -(y)Ip in doğrayıp do?

It’s a converb that chains actions with the same subject: "chop and (then) add." It implies sequence or close linkage without repeating the verb endings:

doğra- (chop) + -yıp → doğrayıp → "chopping and then..."

Why is there a y in doğrayıp and in kaseye?

y is a buffer letter inserted when a vowel-initial suffix is attached to a stem ending in a vowel:

doğra + ıp → doğra-y-ıp
kase + e → kase-y-e

Can I use ve instead of -ıp?

Yes: Muz doğradık ve aynı kaseye ekledik. Using -ıp is tighter and more sequential. Also, -(y)Ip requires the same subject for the chained verbs; ve does not. Don’t say Çilek bitip muz doğradık…—here the subjects would differ ("strawberry" vs. "we"), which breaks the -ıp same-subject rule. Use Çilek bitince... instead.

Why is it kaseye (dative) and not kasede (locative)?

Because eklemek takes a goal/recipient with the dative: you add something "to" something:

"add X to Y" = X-ı Y-e eklemek. The locative -de would mean "in/at the same bowl."

What case pattern does eklemek require?

Typically: direct object in accusative (if definite) + goal in dative.

(Muzu) aynı kaseye ekledik. = "We added (the banana) to the same bowl."

Does aynı change with case?

No. aynı is invariable. The noun carries the case:

aynı kaseye (to the same bowl), aynı kasede (in the same bowl), aynı kaseden (from the same bowl).

Where is the subject "we"? Why no biz?

Turkish is pro-drop. Person/number are on the verb:

ekle-di-k = add-PAST-1PL → "we added." biz is optional emphasis.

How would it look with different subjects?

I: Çilek bitince muz doğrayıp aynı kaseye ekledim.
He/She: ... ekledi.
They: ... eklediler.

Does -ince force the same subject as the main clause?

No. -ince allows different subjects:

Çilek bitince oğlum muz doğradı. = "When the strawberries ran out, my son chopped a banana." This is a key difference from -(y)Ip, which assumes the same subject.

Do I need a comma after Çilek bitince?

Optional. With short clauses many writers omit it; including a comma for clarity is also fine: Çilek bitince, muz...

How do I pronounce the tricky letters?

ç = ch (as in "church").
ğ lengthens the preceding vowel; in doğra- it’s like a long "o": roughly "doo-rah."
ı (dotless i) is a back, unrounded vowel, like the "e" in "the" for many English speakers.
e is like "e" in "met." Approximation: "Chee-lek bee-tin-jeh; mooz doh-rah-yup eye-nuh kah-se-yeh ek-leh-dik."

Can I say çileği bitirince instead of çilek bitince?

That changes the meaning.

çilek bitince = "when the strawberries ran out" (intransitive bitmek).
çileği bitirince = "when we finished the strawberries" (transitive bitirmek, accusative çileği).

Is aynı kasenin içine different from aynı kaseye?

Both can mean "into the same bowl." aynı kaseye (dative) is shorter and common; aynı kasenin içine ("into the inside of the same bowl") is more explicit or formal.

Is mixing bitince (tenseless) with past ekledik okay?

Yes. -ince doesn’t set tense; the main clause does. You can also say:

Habitual: Çilek bitince muz doğrayıp aynı kaseye ekliyoruz.

Can I move aynı kaseye elsewhere?

Yes. Common options:

Muz doğrayıp aynı kaseye ekledik. (neutral)
Aynı kaseye muz doğrayıp ekledik. (focus on location) Final position (... ekledik aynı kaseye) is possible for special emphasis but less neutral.

Are there synonyms for eklemek here?

Yes: katmak or ilave etmek are close. koymak is "to put/place" and may sound less like "add (as an ingredient)" unless context makes it clear.