Learn Hardcore Turkish: Çocuk uçurtmayı parka götürdü.

Çocuk = child (subject, nominative)
uçurtma-y-ı = kite + buffer y
- accusative -ı → definite direct object: the kite
park-a = park + dative -a → to the park
götür-dü = verb stem götür- (to take/carry to) + simple past -di (here harmonized as -dü) → took (3rd person singular)

Default Turkish order is S-(adverbials/indirect objs)-O-V. Here it’s S–O–(destination)–V.

Why is it uçurtmayı and not just uçurtma?

Because Turkish marks a definite direct object with the accusative. uçurtmayı = the specific kite (already known/mentioned). If you mean an indefinite object, you drop the accusative:

Çocuk parka bir uçurtma götürdü. = The child took a kite to the park.

Where does the y in uçurtmayı come from?

It’s a buffer consonant. When a suffix beginning with a vowel attaches to a word ending in a vowel, Turkish inserts -y-:

uçurtma + (y)ı → uçurtmayı
Other examples: araba + ı → arabayı, kafa + i → kafayı.

Why is it parka and not parkı or parkta?

parka (dative -a/-e) = to the park (destination/goal of motion).
parkı (accusative) would mean the park as a direct object, which doesn’t fit with götürmek here.
parkta (locative -da/-de) = in/at the park (location, not destination).

How do I choose between -a and -e in the dative?

Vowel harmony: look at the last vowel of the noun.

If it’s a back vowel (a, ı, o, u), use -a: park-a, okul-a.
If it’s a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü), use -e: şehir-e, göl-e.

What’s the difference between götürdü and getirdi?

götürdü = took (away from the reference point/speaker).
getirdi = brought (toward the reference point/speaker). Turkish keeps this bring/take distinction very consistently.

Why is the past tense ending in götürdü written as -dü, not -di/-du/-dı?

Simple past is -di, which undergoes two adjustments:

Vowel harmony: last vowel of the stem is ü, so the suffix vowel becomes ü → -dü.
Consonant assimilation: the initial d of the suffix becomes t after a voiceless consonant (e.g., git-ti), but here the stem ends in r (voiced), so it stays d → götür-dü.

There’s no article in çocuk. How do I say “a child” vs “the child”?

Turkish has no articles. Çocuk can be “the child” (contextual/known) or generic. To force an indefinite reading, use bir:

Bir çocuk = a child
Çocuk = the child (in context), or “children” in a generic statement, depending on context.

Can I change the word order? For example: Çocuk parka uçurtmayı götürdü?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible. The element immediately before the verb is typically in focus/emphasis:

Çocuk uçurtmayı parka götürdü. → Focus on the destination (parka).
Çocuk parka uçurtmayı götürdü. → Focus on the object (uçurtmayı). Both are grammatical; choose based on what you want to emphasize.

How do I pronounce the special letters here (ç, ı, ö, ü)?

ç = like English “ch” in “chip.”
ı (dotless i) = a close back unrounded vowel; somewhat like the vowel in “roses” (the second syllable) or a relaxed “uh,” but shorter/closer.
ö = like German “ö,” French “eu” in “peur.”
ü = like German “ü,” French “u” in “lune.” Vowel harmony largely depends on front/back and rounded/unrounded qualities of these vowels.

Can I drop the subject and just say Uçurtmayı parka götürdü?

Yes, if the subject is clear from context. Turkish is pro-drop. Uçurtmayı parka götürdü = “(He/She) took the kite to the park.” Without context, the subject is ambiguous (he/she/it/they).

How would I say “The child took his/her (own) kite to the park”?

Use the possessive (optionally with a reflexive for clarity):

Çocuk kendi uçurtmasını parka götürdü. (clear: his/her own kite)
Without “kendi,” Çocuk uçurtmasını parka götürdü can mean “the child took his/her kite,” but could also be someone else’s depending on context. “kendi” removes the ambiguity.

How do I make this a yes/no question?

Add the question particle, harmonized, after the verb:

Çocuk uçurtmayı parka götürdü mü? = Did the child take the kite to the park? The particle is written separately but phonetically cliticizes: mi/ mı/ mu/ mü by vowel harmony (here mü).

How would I say “The child took the kites to the park”?

Make the object plural and keep the accusative for definiteness:

Çocuk uçurtmaları parka götürdü. Note: uçurtmaları can also mean “their kite(s)” (3rd person plural possessive + acc) in other contexts; context disambiguates.

Could I use taşımak instead of götürmek?

götürmek = to take/transport something to a destination (implies movement to a goal).
taşımak = to carry/transport (focus on carrying, not necessarily specifying the endpoint). Your sentence needs a destination, so götürdü is the natural choice. You might say Çocuk parkta uçurtmayı taşıdı if you mean “The child carried the kite in the park.”

Why is the object before the destination here? Isn’t it usually S–(time/place)–O–V?

Both orders occur. Time/place adverbials frequently appear before the object, but objects also commonly appear before destination phrases. The main communicative rule is focus: the element right before the verb is emphasized. So speakers reorder constituents to highlight what matters.