Learn Hardcore Turkish: Yeni bulaşık süngeri ile tezgâhı siliyorum. - I am wiping the counter with the new dish sponge.

Because tezgâhı is in the accusative case (-ı), which marks a definite/specific direct object. In Turkish, definite objects take the accusative, while indefinite ones are left unmarked. So:

Tezgâhı siliyorum = I’m wiping the (known/specific) counter.
Tezgâh siliyorum = I’m wiping a counter (non-specific, sounds odd unless you mean some counter or other).

How is the right accusative vowel chosen in tezgâhı?

The accusative is a 4-way suffix: -ı/-i/-u/-ü, chosen by vowel harmony based on the last vowel in the noun. The last vowel in tezgâh is â (a back vowel), so you use -ı: tezgâh + ı → tezgâhı.

What’s going on inside bulaşık süngeri? Why not bulaşık sünger?

Bulaşık süngeri is an indefinite noun compound (isim tamlaması). In such compounds, the head noun takes the 3rd-person possessive suffix:

modifier + head-(s)I
bulaşık (dishes) + sünger
- i → bulaşık süngeri (dish sponge) Other examples: elma suyu (apple juice), kapı kolu (door handle), çay kaşığı (teaspoon).

Is bulaşık süngeri ile the same as bulaşık süngeriyle?

Yes. İle can be written as a separate postposition (bulaşık süngeri ile) or as the clitic/suffix form -le/-la attached to the phrase (bulaşık süngeriyle). Because the phrase ends in a vowel (…süngeri), a buffer y is inserted: -yle. Both are correct; the clitic form is very common in speech and writing.

When do I use -la/-le versus full ile?

They’re interchangeable in meaning (“with/by means of”). The clitic -la/-le (becoming -yla/-yle after a vowel) is very common and slightly more colloquial; ile as a separate word can feel a bit more formal or careful. Orthography: when used as a clitic, write it as one word, e.g., kalemle, arabamla, süngeriyle.

Can ile also mean “and”?

Yes. İle can coordinate nouns, like ve:

Ahmet ile Ayşe = Ahmet and Ayşe. In this use, you’ll also see the clitic form: Ahmet’le Ayşe.

How is siliyorum formed, and what tense is it?

It’s the present continuous (progressive):

verb stem sil- (wipe)
progressive marker -iyor-
1sg personal ending -um Together: sil-iyor-um → siliyorum = I’m wiping (right now/around now). Compare the habitual/aorist: silerim = I (usually) wipe.

Why not siliniyorum?

Silmek is transitive “to wipe.” Silinmek is the passive/reflexive “to be wiped, to get erased.” Siliniyorum would mean “I’m being wiped/getting erased,” which is not what you want here.

Why is there no subject pronoun? Where is “I”?

It’s in the verb ending. Turkish verbs show person/number, so the subject pronoun is usually dropped. -um in siliyorum already encodes “I.” You could add Ben for emphasis or contrast: Ben tezgâhı siliyorum.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move parts around?

Turkish is flexible. Default is S(ubject)-O(bject)-V(erb), and adverbials (like instrumentals with ile) typically come before the object, but you can reorder for emphasis:

Yeni bulaşık süngeriyle tezgâhı siliyorum. (neutral)
Tezgâhı yeni bulaşık süngeriyle siliyorum. (emphasis on what you use)
Yeni bulaşık süngeriyle ben tezgâhı siliyorum. (emphasis on “I”) The element right before the verb often carries focus.

Do I need bir before bulaşık süngeri?

Optional. Bir marks indefiniteness (“a”). As an instrumental, bir is often omitted unless you want to stress “a/one (brand-)new sponge”:

Yeni bir bulaşık süngeriyle … = with a new dish sponge (emphatically one/unspecified).
Yeni bulaşık süngeriyle … = with a new dish sponge (natural, typical).

How do I pronounce the dotless ı in tezgâhı and bulaşık?

Turkish ı (dotless) is a back, unrounded vowel, somewhat like the second vowel in English “roses” or “sofa” in many accents. It’s not the same as dotted i. So:

ı ≈ a relaxed, back “uh”
i ≈ “ee”

What does the circumflex in tezgâh do? Do I have to write it?

The circumflex â indicates a lengthened/palatalized vowel in some words. In tezgâh, it marks a long “a” before h. Many people omit circumflexes in casual writing (tezgah), but the recommended spelling is tezgâh. Pronouncing the h is fine; the key point is the long vowel.

Could I say mutfak tezgâhı to be more specific?

Yes. Mutfak tezgâhı = kitchen counter. It’s another indefinite compound: mutfak (kitchen) + tezgâh + ı (possessive on the head noun). Then as the object you’d still use accusative if it’s definite: Mutfak tezgâhını siliyorum.

Why is yeni placed before bulaşık süngeri?

Adjectives precede the nouns they modify in Turkish. The order is:

adjective(s) + modifier noun(s) + head noun (+ possessive/case) So: yeni (new) + bulaşık (dish) + süngeri (sponge with possessive) → yeni bulaşık süngeri.

Could I use temizliyorum instead of siliyorum?

They overlap but aren’t identical. Silmek is specifically “to wipe/wipe down.” Temizlemek is broader “to clean.” If you want to say you’re wiping the counter with a sponge, siliyorum is the most precise. If you mean you’re cleaning it in any manner, tezgâhı temizliyorum works.