Learn Hardcore Turkish: Üşenince işleri erteleme; tam tersine küçük adımlarla başla. - Don’t postpone tasks when you feel lazy; on the contrary, start with small steps.

Üşenince = üşen- (to feel too lazy/“can’t be bothered”) + -ince (when/once). It means “when you feel too lazy.” The subject of this “when”-clause is the same as the main clause—in this sentence, implied sen (you).

Why is there no subject pronoun? Who is being addressed?

Turkish imperatives don’t need a subject pronoun. Erteleme and başla are 2nd person singular imperatives, so the subject is implicitly sen (“you” singular/informal). For plural/polite you’d say ertelemeyin / başlayın.

What exactly is erteleme here—a noun or a verb?

Here it’s the negative imperative of ertelemek: “don’t postpone.” The suffix -me/-ma also forms nouns (e.g., erteleme = “postponement”), but in this position and context it’s clearly the imperative.

Why işleri and not işler?

İşleri = iş + -ler (plural) + -i (definite accusative) = “the tasks/work (as a whole).” Definite direct objects take accusative. Bare işler would be more indefinite (“some tasks”) and is less typical here; many speakers might also use mass-singular iş: Üşenince iş erteleme.

Does işleri mean “your tasks”? It looks possessive.

Not here. It’s the plural definite object, not possessive. “Your tasks” would be işlerini (2nd person possessive + accusative). “His/her/their tasks” can be işleri in the nominative, but as a definite object you’d normally clarify: onun işlerini erteleme.

What does tam tersine mean exactly?

A fixed adverbial: tam (exactly/fully) + ters (opposite) + -ine (dative) → “on the contrary,” “quite the opposite.” Near-synonyms: aksine, tersine.

Why the semicolon? Could a comma work?

The semicolon links two closely related independent clauses. You could also write two sentences or use a comma after the pivot: Üşenince işleri erteleme. Tam tersine, küçük adımlarla başla. or … erteleme; tam tersine, küçük adımlarla başla.

What does küçük adımlarla express, and what is the -la/-le ending?

-la/-le is the instrumental/comitative case: “with/by/using.” Küçük adımlarla = “with small steps,” i.e., “in small increments.”

Why başla and not başlamak?

Başla is the 2nd person singular imperative of başlamak (“start”). The infinitive başlamak is a noun (“to start/starting”), not a command.

Does başlamak require the dative case?

When you “start something,” Turkish uses the dative: bir projeye başla (“start a project”). Here küçük adımlarla is manner (“with small steps”), not the thing you start. You can combine them: Projeye küçük adımlarla başla.

Is üşenmek related to üşümek (“to feel cold”)? They look similar.

No. Üşenmek = “to feel too lazy/reluctant to do something.” Üşümek = “to feel cold.” “When you feel cold” would be üşüyünce, not üşenince.

What’s the difference between üşenince, üşendiğinde, and üşendiğin zaman?

All mean “when you feel lazy.” Nuance:

-ince: concise and common (“upon/whenever”).
-diğinde: a bit more formal/literary.
… zaman: explicit “when/whenever,” colloquial/flexible. Meaning is effectively the same here.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, but the original is most natural:

Üşenince işleri erteleme; tam tersine, küçük adımlarla başla. (best)
İşleri üşenince erteleme; … (possible but a bit clunkier)
Tam tersine, küçük adımlarla başla; üşenince işleri erteleme. (shifts emphasis)

Could I say tam tersini yap instead of tam tersine?

Yes. Tam tersini yap = “do the exact opposite.” In your sentence the opposite action is stated (küçük adımlarla başla), so tam tersine works as an adverbial pivot (“on the contrary”). If you omit the specific instruction, tam tersini yap is natural.

How do I make it more polite or softer?

Plural/polite: Üşenince işleri ertelemeyin; tam tersine, küçük adımlarla başlayın.
Softer suggestions: Üşenince işleri ertelemesen iyi olur; küçük adımlarla başlasan harika olur. Adding lütfen also softens.

Are there natural alternatives for the second clause?

Yes:

Küçük adımlar at. (“Take small steps.”)
Adım adım başla. (“Start step by step.”)
Yavaş yavaş başla. (“Start gradually.”)