Learn Hardcore Turkish: Şofben çalışmıyor, sürgüyü kapatıp tekrar deneyeceğim. - The water heater isn’t working; I will close the latch and try again.

Şofben is an instant water heater (on-demand heater), a loan from French “chauffe-bain.” It’s common in Turkey, especially for bathroom hot water. Related terms:

Kombi: a combi boiler that heats both water and radiators.
Termosifon: a storage-type electric water heater. Spelling variants like şohben exist, but şofben is standard.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters in this sentence?

Ş: like English “sh.”
Ç: like “ch.”
Ğ (yumuşak g): it lengthens or glides; it’s not a hard g sound. Often it just lengthens the previous vowel.
ı (dotless i): like the vowel in “roses” or a relaxed “uh,” not like English “ee.”
ü: like German ü/French u, rounded front vowel.

Approximate pronunciations:

Şofben: shof-ben
çalışmıyor: cha-lɯsh-muh-yor (ɯ = dotless ı)
sürgüyü: syr-GYU-yu (ü as in French u)
kapatıp: ka-pa-tɯp
tekrar: tek-rahr
deneyeceğim: de-ne-ye-jee-im (with a slight length before ğ)

Why is the present continuous used in çalışmıyor to mean a current state?

Turkish commonly uses the present continuous (-yor) to describe current states/conditions, not just ongoing actions. Çalışmıyor means “it’s not working (right now),” which fits a present condition.

How is çalışmıyor formed morphologically?

Root: çalış- (to work)
Negation: -mA- (here harmonized as -mı- due to vowel harmony)
Present continuous: -yor
No personal ending because the subject is 3rd person. Result: çalış-mı-yor → “is not working.”

What does sürgü mean here?

Sürgü literally means a sliding latch/bolt (e.g., on a door). Colloquially it can refer to a sliding switch or a valve/stopcock on an appliance. In the context of a heater, it likely means a gas or water cutoff that slides. More specific words you might also hear:

vana (valve), musluk (tap), şalter (switch, breaker).

Why is it sürgüyü and not just sürgü?

The -yı/-yi/-yu/-yü accusative suffix marks a definite direct object. Sürgüyü = “the latch/valve (that specific one).” Because the speaker has a specific control in mind, it takes the definite accusative. The buffer -y- appears because the noun ends in a vowel.

What does the -ıp in kapatıp do?

-Ip is a converb (linking) suffix meaning “and (then).” It links sequential actions with the same subject without repeating the subject:

sürgüyü kapatıp tekrar deneyeceğim = “I’ll close the latch and then try again.”

Could I use something else instead of -ıp, like ve, -ınca, or -dıktan sonra?

ve: Sürgüyü kapatacağım ve tekrar deneyeceğim is fine but a bit more formal/choppy.
-ınca/ince: Sürgüyü kapatınca tekrar deneyeceğim = “When I close it, I’ll try again.” Emphasizes the time relationship.
-dıktan sonra: Sürgüyü kapattıktan sonra tekrar deneyeceğim = “After closing it, I’ll try again.” More explicit sequence. -Ip is the most compact and neutral for sequential actions.

Why not use kapatarak?

-arak/erek typically expresses manner or simultaneity (“by doing, while doing”). Kapatarak deneyeceğim sounds like you’ll be closing it as the way of trying, which is odd. Kapatıp deneyeceğim clearly expresses “first close, then try.”

Why is there no conjunction like ama/çünkü/sonra between the clauses?

Turkish often places clauses side by side with a comma and lets context imply the relation. Here the first clause states the problem; the second states the plan. You could add:

Cause: çünkü (“because”)
Result: bu yüzden/bu nedenle (“so/therefore”)
Sequence: sonra (“then”) But they’re not necessary.

What’s the nuance of deneyeceğim vs. denerim?

deneyeceğim (future): a definite intention/plan — “I’m going to try.”
denerim (aorist): a general tendency or a tentative offer — “I’d try/I suppose I’ll try.” In this context, deneyeceğim is stronger and more natural.

How is deneyeceğim built, and where does the ğ come from?

Root: dene- (try)
Future: -ecek → deneyecek
1st person singular: -im When a vowel-initial suffix follows a word ending in -k, the k usually softens to ğ: deneyecek + im → deneyeceğim. The ğ lengthens/glides; you don’t pronounce a hard “g.”

Is it okay to say colloquial forms like “deniycem/denicem” in speech?

Yes, in fast, casual speech many people compress -eceğim/-acağım to something like “-cem/-cam” (e.g., “deniycem”). It’s common in conversation/texting, but the standard written form is deneyeceğim.

Can I move tekrar elsewhere? Does its position change the meaning?

Sürgüyü kapatıp tekrar deneyeceğim: “I’ll try again” (again modifies trying).
Tekrar sürgüyü kapatıp deneyeceğim: implies you’ll close the latch again (you’ve closed it before).
Sürgüyü tekrar kapatıp deneyeceğim: also focuses “again” on closing. So place tekrar just before what you intend to repeat.

What’s the difference between tekrar, yine/gene, and yeniden/tekrardan?

tekrar: neutral “again” (very common).
yine/gene: “again” (yine is standard; gene is colloquial).
yeniden: “again/anew,” often “from the beginning.”
tekrardan: colloquial/redundant; used in speech, less preferred in careful writing. In this sentence, tekrar is perfect.

Could I say şofben bozuk instead of çalışmıyor?

çalışmıyor: not working right now (might be temporary).
bozuk: broken/faulty (suggests a defect). If you suspect a temporary glitch, çalışmıyor is safer; bozuk sounds more permanent.

Why is there no “it” pronoun in Turkish?

Turkish doesn’t use subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows person/number. Çalışmıyor already implies “it is not working” because the subject is understood from context (şofben). Turkish also lacks a dedicated “it” pronoun like English; 3rd person is typically omitted or uses o for people/things when needed.

Is the word order in the second clause typical?

Yes. Turkish tends toward SOV order:

Object: sürgüyü
Linked verb: kapatıp
Adverb: tekrar
Main verb (finite): deneyeceğim Objects and adverbs usually come before the final, conjugated verb.