Learn Hardcore Turkish: Spor yapmadan önce kısa bir esneme yapmak iyi geliyor. - Doing a short stretch before exercising feels good.

It literally means before (doing X). It’s formed by taking the verb, adding the negative suffix -ma/-me, then the ablative -dan/-den, and finally the postposition önce. So yap-ma-dan önce = before (not having) done, i.e., before doing. This is the standard way to say “before doing X” with verbs.

How is yapmadan built morphologically?

yap- = do
-ma = negative suffix
-dan = ablative case
Together: yapmadan. The choice -madan/-meden follows vowel harmony: after a back vowel (a, ı, o, u) use -madan; after a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü) use -meden.

Could I say yaptıktan önce for “before doing”?

No. For “before doing,” Turkish uses -madan/-meden önce. The form with -DIK + -ten/-dan (e.g., yaptıktan) is used with sonra:

Before doing: yapmadan önce
After doing: yaptıktan sonra

Can I replace spor yapmadan önce with spordan önce?

Yes: Spordan önce kısa bir esneme yapmak iyi geliyor is also natural. Using spor yapmadan önce is slightly more explicit about the action “doing sport/exercising,” while spordan önce treats “sport” as a time anchor. Both are common.

What exactly does spor yapmak mean? Is it the same as “to exercise”?

Literally “to do sport(s).” In everyday Turkish, spor yapmak often means “to work out / to exercise,” not necessarily playing organized sports. You’ll also hear egzersiz yapmak (to do exercise) and antrenman yapmak (to train/work out).

Is esneme a noun? Why use esneme yapmak instead of the verb?

Yes, esneme is a noun meaning “stretching” (and also “a yawn”). Turkish often uses a noun of action + yapmak (e.g., alışveriş yapmak, temizlik yapmak). You could say kısaca esnemek, but note that esnemek also means “to yawn,” so in fitness contexts esneme (hareketleri) yapmak avoids ambiguity. Alternatives: gerinmek (to stretch), esneme hareketleri yapmak (to do stretching exercises).

Is kısa bir necessary? Could I say just kısa esneme or use kısaca?

kısa bir esneme is the most natural when you’re counting an instance (“a short stretch/stretching session”).
kısa esneme is possible but less idiomatic here.
kısaca esnemek uses the adverb “briefly” and is also fine.
You could also say biraz esneme yapmak (“to do a bit of stretching”), which sounds very natural.

What does iyi gelmek mean, literally and idiomatically?

Literally “to come good,” it idiomatically means “to be good for / to have a beneficial effect / to feel good.” You can add a dative person to say who benefits: Bana iyi geliyor = “It feels good/is good for me.”

Why is it iyi geliyor (progressive) and not iyi gelir (aorist)?

Both are possible, with a nuance:

iyi geliyor sounds experiential and conversational: “it tends to/it’s been feeling good.”
iyi gelir is more general, stating a rule or recommendation: “it is (in general) good.”
So you might use iyi gelir in advice or written guidance; iyi geliyor is very common in speech.

What is the subject of the sentence?

The subject is the verbal-noun phrase kısa bir esneme yapmak (“doing a short stretch”). Turkish often uses such infinitive-like noun phrases as subjects. The predicate is iyi geliyor.

Could I drop yapmak and say kısa bir esneme … iyi geliyor?

Yes: Spor yapmadan önce kısa bir esneme iyi geliyor is acceptable and understood. Using … esneme yapmak is a very common collocation and may sound a bit smoother.

Are there more idiomatic variants?

Some natural rephrasings:

Spordan önce kısa bir esneme faydalı/yararlı.
Spordan önce esneme hareketleri yapmak iyi gelir.
Antrenmandan önce kısa bir ısınma ve esneme iyi gelir. (adds warm-up)
Spor öncesi kısa bir esneme iyi geliyor. (uses the noun compound spor öncesi)

What’s the difference between ısınma and esneme?

ısınma = warm-up (raising body temperature, light cardio, activation).
esneme = stretching (lengthening muscles, increasing flexibility).
In practice, people often say both: ısınma ve esneme before training.

Why does önce come after the verb form? Can it come before?

Önce is a postposition when it means “before,” so it follows an ablative-marked word/phrase: spordan önce, yapmadan önce. As an adverb you can say Önce spor yaparım, but in the “before X” construction it must follow the ablative phrase.

Why is the ablative case (-dan/-den) involved here?

The postposition önce requires its complement in the ablative:

Noun: spor-dan önce
Verbal noun: yap-ma-dan önce
That’s why you see -dan/-den in these “before …” phrases.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

ö in önce is a rounded front vowel (like German ö).
c in önce sounds like English “j” in “jam.”
ç is not in this sentence; when you see it elsewhere, it’s “ch.”
Final r (as in spor) is tapped/trilled.
ı (not in this line, but common in Turkish) is a close back unrounded vowel.

If I want to make it sound like a recommendation, what else can I say?

Use iyi olur for “it would be good (to)”:

Spor yapmadan önce kısa bir esneme yapmak iyi olur.
This frames it as advice rather than a personal observation.