Learn Hardcore Turkish: Mutfakta kısık ateşte çorba kaynıyor. - Soup is boiling on low heat in the kitchen.

Forms: -da / -de / -ta / -te
Choose a/e by vowel harmony (back vowels → a, front vowels → e).
Choose d/t by the final consonant’s voicing (after a voiceless consonant, use t).

So:

mutfak + -ta → mutfakta = in/at the kitchen
ateş + -te → ateşte = on low heat (literally “at the fire/heat”)

Why is it ateşte (with -te) and not ateşde?

Because ş is a voiceless consonant, so the locative uses -te (not -de). This is part of the d/t alternation rule in the locative.

Why is it mutfakta and not something like mutfakda or mutfağta?

The final consonant k is voiceless, so you need -ta (not -da): mutfakta.
The k→ğ softening happens when you add a vowel-initial suffix (e.g., mutfağa “to the kitchen”), but the locative starts with a consonant (t), so no softening: not “mutfağta.”

Which word is the subject here?

Çorba is the subject (“soup”). Turkish has no articles, so çorba can be “the soup” or “(some) soup,” depending on context. You could add bir to force “a soup,” but here it would sound odd; the natural reading is “the soup.”

How is kaynıyor formed?

From the verb kaynamak “to boil (intransitive).”

Progressive suffix: -(I)yor (I = ı/i/u/ü by vowel harmony)
Stem: kayna-
kayna- + -(ı)yor → kaynıyor The final -a changes to -ı before -yor, a regular pattern with many stems ending in -a/-e (e.g., anla- → anlıyor).

Why isn’t it written as kaynaıyor?

When an -a/-e ending stem takes -(I)yor, that -a/-e contracts to -ı/-i. So kayna- + -ıyor becomes kaynıyor, not kaynaıyor. You see the same pattern in anlamak → anlıyor.

What’s the difference between kaynamak and kaynatmak?

kaynamak: intransitive “to boil” (the liquid boils by itself). Example: Çorba kaynıyor “The soup is boiling.”
kaynatmak: causative “to boil something” (you are making it boil). Example: Çorbayı kaynatıyorum “I’m boiling the soup.”

What does kısık ateşte literally mean?

Literally “at low heat.”

kısık = low/turned-down (also “hoarse” for a voice)
ateş = fire/heat Common cooking collocations:
kısık ateşte = on low heat
orta ateşte = on medium heat
yüksek ateşte = on high heat

Is it okay to have two locatives in a row like mutfakta kısık ateşte?

Yes. Stacking adverbials is normal. Turkish uses case suffixes instead of prepositions, and you can have multiple such phrases:

Place: mutfakta
Manner/setting: kısık ateşte

Does the word order have to be exactly this? Can I move things around?

Word order is flexible, with the verb typically last. You can reorder adverbials for emphasis:

Çorba mutfakta kısık ateşte kaynıyor.
Kısık ateşte mutfakta çorba kaynıyor. Core meaning stays; the fronted element gets emphasis or contrast.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?

ı (in kısık, kaynıyor): a close back unrounded vowel; like a relaxed “uh” without rounding.
ç (in çorba): “ch” as in “church.”
ş (in ateşte): “sh” as in “shoe.”

How do I make it negative or ask a yes/no question?

Negative: insert -mA- before -(I)yor → Çorba kaynamıyor. “The soup isn’t boiling.”
Yes/no question: add the question particle mi/mı/mü/mu (separate word, harmonizes)
- Çorba kaynıyor mu? “Is the soup boiling?”
- You can question other parts too: Mutfakta mı çorba kaynıyor?, Kısık ateşte mi çorba kaynıyor?

If I want to say “on the stove,” how would I add that?

Use the noun for stove plus locative:

ocak + -ta → ocakta = on the stove Example: Ocakta kısık ateşte çorba kaynıyor.

Could I use another tense like kaynar or -makta here?

kaynar (simple present) expresses habitual/generic truth or instructions: Çorba kaynar “Soup boils” (as a general statement) or Kaynar su “boiling water.”
kaynamakta (progressive in -makta) is more formal/literary or report-like: Çorba kaynamakta. For “is boiling (now),” kaynıyor is the most natural choice.