Learn Hardcore Turkish: Niye telefonu sessiz moda almıyorsun? - Why aren’t you putting the phone on silent mode?

Turkish uses the particle -mi for yes/no questions. With a wh-word like niye (“why”), you don’t use -mi. So Niye … almıyorsun? is the normal form. For a yes/no check, you’d say Almıyor musun? without niye.

Why is telefonu in the accusative (-u)?

Because it’s a definite direct object. You’re talking about a specific phone (the one in this context), so Turkish marks it with accusative: telefon-u. If the object were indefinite (not specific), you would omit accusative, but that wouldn’t fit this meaning.

Should it be telefonunu (“your phone”) instead of telefonu?

Both occur.

telefonunu explicitly means “your phone” and is very common/natural here: Niye telefonunu sessize almıyorsun?
telefonu can still imply “the phone (i.e., yours)” from context, but it’s less explicit. If you do mean the listener’s phone, telefonunu is often preferred.

Can I drop the object and just say Niye sessize almıyorsun?

Yes, if context makes the object obvious (usually the listener’s phone). Turkish frequently drops understood objects.

Why is it sessiz moda and not sessize? Are both correct?

Both are correct:

telefonu sessize almak = “to put the phone on silent.” This is extremely common and idiomatic.
telefonu sessiz moda almak = “to put the phone into silent mode.” Also correct; slightly more literal/techy. You’ll hear sessize almak more often in everyday speech.

Should it be sessiz moduna (with -na) instead of sessiz moda?

No. With an adjective + noun (like sessiz mod), you don’t add the compound possessive on mod. You just mark the noun with dative: mod-a → sessiz moda. By contrast, with a noun + noun compound you do see -u: e.g., uçak mod-u-na (“to airplane mode”). So:

sessiz moda (adj + noun)
uçak moduna (noun + noun compound)

What does almak mean here? Isn’t it “to take”?

Here almak is a light verb meaning “to put/switch (something) into a state/mode.” Common collocations:

telefonu sessize almak (put the phone on silent)
telefonu titreşime almak (put the phone on vibrate)
cihazı uçak moduna almak (put the device in airplane mode)

How is almıyorsun formed, and why is it ı?

It’s: al- (take/put) + -ma (negation) + -yor (progressive) + -sun (2nd sg) → underlying al-ma-yor-sun. Before -yor, the a/e of the negative suffix becomes a high vowel by harmony, giving al-mı-yor-sun → spelled almıyorsun. The ı matches the back unrounded vowel harmony of al-.

What nuance does Niye … almıyorsun? carry in tone?

It can be a mild reproach (“Why aren’t you doing it?”) or a suggestion (“Why don’t you …?”). Tone and context decide whether it sounds pushy or helpful.

How would I make this more polite/softer?

Use a request form:

Telefonunu sessize alır mısın (lütfen)?
Telefonunu sessize alabilir misin (lütfen)? These are polite requests rather than “why” questions.

How do I say it to one person formally or to multiple people?

Use the plural/formal siz verb ending:

Informal: Niye telefonu sessize almıyorsun?
Formal/plural: Niye telefonu sessize almıyorsunuz?

Can I use koymak instead of almak?

No; for switching modes/states, Turkish idiomatically uses …e/a almak or sometimes …e/a geçirmek/getirmek. koymak (“to put/place”) doesn’t sound right here.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move niye or telefonu?

Word order is flexible, but the given order is the most natural. Acceptable alternatives:

Telefonu niye sessize almıyorsun?
Niye telefonu sessize almıyorsun? Placing niye near what you’re questioning is common. The verb typically comes last.

Could I use the aorist instead: Niye … almazsın? What changes?

Yes: Niye telefonu sessize almazsın? The aorist (-maz/-mez) can sound like a habitual or a softer, tentative suggestion (“Why don’t you ever/why wouldn’t you …?”). The progressive almıyorsun focuses on the present/ongoing situation.