Learn Hardcore Turkish: Toplantı sırasında telefonu sessiz moda almanı rica ediyorum. - I kindly ask you to put the phone on silent mode during the meeting.

Because Turkish turns the action “putting (it) into silent mode” into a noun phrase that can be the object of another verb. This is done with the verbal noun -mA plus a possessive ending showing who does the action, and often accusative to show it’s the object.

al-ma-n-ı = your putting (it) into silent mode (as an object)
- al-: take/put
- -ma: verbal noun suffix
- -n: 2nd-person singular possessor (you)
- -ı: accusative, because this whole clause is the thing being requested So rica ediyorum (I request) needs an object: “I request your putting it into silent mode.”

Do I need to say senin explicitly (senin … almanı)?

No. In nominalized clauses, the doer is usually marked by the possessive on the verb (here, -n “your”) and the genitive pronoun senin is optional. You could say:

(Senin) telefonu sessiz moda almanı rica ediyorum. Adding senin can clarify or add emphasis, but it’s normally omitted when obvious.

Should it be telefonu or telefonunu?

If you mean the listener’s own phone, telefonunu (your phone) is the most natural:

Toplantı sırasında telefonunu sessize almanı rica ediyorum. Using telefonu (the phone) can imply a specific phone already known from context or a generic instruction. In everyday requests to a specific person, telefonunu sounds more natural.

Why are there two accusatives here: telefonu and almanı?

They belong to different layers:

telefonu: accusative object of the inner verb al- (put the phone …).
almanı: the entire action “your putting …” is the direct object of rica ediyorum, so it also gets accusative. It’s normal for embedded clauses to have their own case marking independent of the main clause.

Is sessiz moda almak the most idiomatic, or should I say sessize almak?

Both are correct, but sessize almak is the most idiomatic day-to-day phrasing for phones:

telefonu sessize almak = to silence the phone
telefonu sessiz moda almak = to put the phone into silent mode (a bit more literal/technical) In UI language or everyday speech you’ll hear sessize al most.

Why is it moda with -a, not modda with -da?

-a/-e (dative) often marks movement “into a state”: sessiz moda almak = put into silent mode.
-da/-de (locative) marks being “in a state”: telefon sessiz modda = the phone is in silent mode.

What are more natural ways to make this request?

Polite, everyday options:

Toplantı sırasında telefonunu sessize alır mısın (lütfen)? (Would you silence your phone during the meeting?)
Toplantı sırasında telefonunuzu sessize alabilir misiniz (lütfen)? (polite/plural “you”)
Short imperative with please: Lütfen toplantı sırasında telefonunu sessize al. Using rica ediyorum is courteous and somewhat formal; it fits emails, announcements, or polite speech.

How do I say it to “you (formal/plural)”?

Change possessives and politeness forms:

Toplantı sırasında telefonunuzu sessize almanızı rica ediyorum. Here, telefonunuzu (your phone, polite/plural) and almanızı (-mA + -nIz + -ı) match formal “you”.

Can I use istemek instead of rica etmek?

You can, but it’s blunter:

Telefonunu sessize almanı istiyorum. = I want you to silence your phone. Rica etmek softens it into a request. İstemek can sound demanding unless context softens it.

What’s the role of sırasında? Do I need genitive like toplantının sırasında?

Sırasında means “during.” It’s built from sıra (turn/time) + possessive + locative. With time nouns, Turkish commonly says:

Toplantı sırasında = during the meeting The genitive toplantının sırasında is possible but uncommon and often unnecessary. You can also use the synonym esnasında:
Toplantı esnasında = during the meeting

Could I say Toplantıdayken instead?

Yes:

Toplantıdayken = while (we are) at/in the meeting (more “while/when” feel)
Toplantı sırasında / esnasında = during the meeting (neutral “during”)
Toplantı boyunca = throughout the whole meeting (emphasizes the entire duration)

What about word order—can I move things around?

Yes, Turkish is flexible, but keep chunks intact:

Toplantı sırasında telefonunu sessize almanı rica ediyorum. (default)
Telefonunu toplantı sırasında sessize almanı rica ediyorum. (slight focus on the phone)
Telefonunu sessize almanı toplantı sırasında rica ediyorum. (focus on “during the meeting”) Putting rica ediyorum at the end is typical. Avoid splitting sessize almak unnaturally.

Is rica ederim the same as rica ediyorum here?

No. Rica ederim is mostly used as “You’re welcome.” To make a request, use:

Rica ediyorum (I request), often followed by what you request. Or turn it into a question: … alır mısın/alabilir misin?

How would I ask someone not to silence their phone?

Negate the embedded verb:

Toplantı sırasında telefonunu sessize almamanı rica ediyorum. = I request that you not silence your phone during the meeting. In direct imperative: Lütfen telefonunu sessize alma.

How do I pronounce tricky parts like rica and sırasında?

rica: c = the “j” in “jam” → ri-JA
ediyorum: e-dee-YO-room (fast speech reduces vowels)
sırasında: the undotted ı is a back vowel like the “i” in Turkish “Istanbul” → sɯ-RA-sɯn-DA
telefonu: te-le-FO-nu (final -u is rounded “oo”)
sessize: ses-SI-ze (the -e is “eh”)

Can you break the sentence down morphologically?

Toplantı: meeting
sıra-sı-nda: its time/turn + locative → “during”
telefon-u: phone + accusative (definite object of al-)
sessiz mod-a: silent mode + dative (into)
al-ma-n-ı: take + verbal noun -mA + your -n + accusative -ı (object of rica etmek)
rica ediyor-um: request + prog + 1sg Whole: “I am requesting your putting the phone into silent mode during the meeting.”