Learn Hardcore Turkish: Dondurucu çalışmıyor, bu yüzden dondurma eriyor. - The freezer isn’t working, so the ice cream is melting.

Turkish has no definite article like the. Definiteness is understood from context. You can use bir for a/an when introducing something new (e.g., Bir dondurucu), but subjects often appear bare. Here, dondurucu naturally reads as the freezer, and dondurma as the ice cream (or just mass ice cream) from context.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters in this sentence, like ç, c, and ı?

ç = ch as in English “chocolate” (e.g., çalış- ≈ “chalish-”).
c = j as in “jam” (e.g., donduruCU ≈ “-joo”).
ı (dotless i) = a close, unrounded sound; like the final vowel in “roses” or a quick “uh” (e.g., çalış ≈ “chal-ush”).
Vowel harmony affects spelling: çalışmıyor has dotless ı, while eriyor has dotted i.

Why is the negation done with -mıyor in çalışmıyor instead of using değil?

Turkish negates verbs with the suffix -ma/-me (here as -mı- due to harmony) plus a tense/aspect marker. Değil negates nouns/adjectives: bozuk değil = “not broken.” So:

Verb negation: çalışmıyor = “is not working.”
Nominal negation: bozuk değil = “is not broken.”

Can you break down the verb forms çalışmıyor and eriyor?

çalış-m-ıyor: stem çalış- (work/operate) + negative -ma/-me → -m-
- present continuous -iyor (spelled -ıyor here by harmony) → “is not working.”
er-iyor: stem er- (melt, intransitive) + present continuous -iyor → “is melting.” 3rd person singular has no extra personal ending, so there’s no extra “he/she/it” marker.

Why is it çalışmıyor (with -mıyor) and not something like çalışmiyor?

Vowel harmony. After the negative -ma/-me, the progressive -iyor aligns to the last vowel. The last vowel before -yor is ı, so you get -mıyor. Hence: çalış- + -mı- + -yor → çalışmıyor.

What’s the difference between bu yüzden and çünkü?

bu yüzden = “therefore/so,” introducing the result: “X, so Y.”
çünkü = “because,” introducing the cause: “Y, because X.” Your sentence uses result: Dondurucu çalışmıyor, bu yüzden dondurma eriyor. Cause-first alternative: Dondurma eriyor çünkü dondurucu çalışmıyor.

Is the comma before bu yüzden necessary?

It’s common and helpful. You can also split into two sentences: Dondurucu çalışmıyor. Bu yüzden dondurma eriyor. Both are natural.

What exactly does bu yüzden mean, and are there alternatives?

Bu yüzden literally means “for this reason,” functioning like so/therefore. Common alternatives include:

o yüzden (that’s why),
bu nedenle, bu sebeple, bundan dolayı (therefore/for this reason). They differ slightly in register, but all work here.

What’s the difference between dondurucu and dondurma?

Both come from the verb dondurmak (to freeze something).

dondurucu = “freezer” or adjective “freezing” (e.g., dondurucu soğuk = “freezing cold”).
dondurma = “ice cream” (originally a verbal noun “freezing,” but lexicalized).

Could I say the same idea with çünkü or için?

Yes:

With çünkü (because): Dondurma eriyor çünkü dondurucu çalışmıyor.
With için (because/since): Dondurucu çalışmadığı için dondurma eriyor. (lit. “because the freezer is not working”)

Why is it eriyor and not a dictionary form like erimek?

-mek/-mak is the infinitive (dictionary form). In a sentence you need a finite verb. Eriyor is the present continuous (is melting), which matches the ongoing action.

Do I need plural or case endings on dondurma here?

No. Dondurma is the subject and can be mass or singular. If you mean multiple ice creams as items, you can say Dondurmalar eriyor (“The ice creams are melting”). Accusative case (e.g., dondurmayı) is only for specific direct objects, not subjects.

How would I say “My freezer isn’t working”?

Add a possessive suffix: Dondurucum çalışmıyor. (my freezer)

What if I want to say “The freezer is broken” instead of “isn’t working”?

Use the adjective bozuk:

Dondurucu bozuk. = “The freezer is broken/out of order.” This is a nominal sentence (no verb), so negation would be Dondurucu bozuk değil.

What’s the difference between erimek and eritmek?

erimek = to melt (intransitive): Dondurma eriyor (the ice cream melts/is melting).
eritmek = to melt something (transitive): Güneş dondurmayı eritiyor (the sun is melting the ice cream).

Can I start the second clause with Bu yüzden?

Absolutely: Dondurucu çalışmıyor. Bu yüzden dondurma eriyor. You can also place it mid-clause: Dondurma bu yüzden eriyor, which emphasizes the reason.

What’s the nuance difference between bu yüzden and o yüzden here?

Both can mean so/that’s why. Bu yüzden literally “for this reason,” often tying directly to what you just said; o yüzden “for that reason,” can feel a touch more distant/anaphoric. In everyday speech they’re largely interchangeable.

Is the tense choice important? Could I use the general present instead?

Yes. -iyor (present continuous) indicates it’s happening now: eriyor (is melting). For general truths/habits, use the aorist: Dondurma erir (“Ice cream melts” in general). Similarly, çalışmıyor is “isn’t working (now).”

Why is there no personal ending like “it” on the verbs?

Turkish marks person on the verb. For 3rd person singular, the personal ending is zero—nothing extra. Compare:

çalışmıyorum (I’m not working),
çalışmıyorsun (you’re not working),
çalışmıyor (he/she/it isn’t working).