Learn Hardcore Turkish: Yağmur yağdığı halde etkinlik devam etti.

yağdığı = verb yağ- (to rain) + nominalizer -DIK
- 3rd person possessive -(s)I. Phonology turns -k into ğ before a vowel and vowel harmony gives -ı: yağ-dığ-ı.
halde = noun hal (state/condition) + locative -de → “in the state that...”
Together, ... yağdığı halde means a concessive “although/even though ...”

Can I use rağmen instead of halde? Are they interchangeable?

Mostly yes; both express “although/despite.”

Verb with -mA: Yağmur yağmasına rağmen etkinlik devam etti.
Verb with -DIK: Yağmurun yağdığına rağmen etkinlik devam etti.
With a noun: Yağmura rağmen etkinlik devam etti.
With halde: Yağmur yağdığı halde etkinlik devam etti. Nuance: rağmen is very common/neutral; halde can sound a bit more formal/literary in some contexts. Meaning is the same.

Why is it yağdığı, not something like yağdık?

Because the -DIK nominalization takes a possessive suffix when used like this:

Base: yağ- + -DIK → theoretical form “yağdık”
Add 3sg possessive -(s)I → “yağdık-ı”
Phonology: final k softens to ğ before a vowel, giving yağdığı. So yağdığı literally means “its raining” in the sense of “the fact that it rained/is raining.”

Do I need to say Yağmurun yağdığı halde with -un on yağmur?

In strict grammar, the explicit subject of a -DIK clause is marked genitive: Yağmurun yağdığı halde. In everyday usage—especially with natural phenomena—speakers often drop the genitive and say Yağmur yağdığı halde. Both are understood; with people/pronouns, keep the genitive: Ayşe’nin geldiği halde…

Is yağdığı past or present? How is tense understood?

-DIK is tenseless; time is inferred from context. With devam etti (past), it means “although it was raining / although it rained” at that time. Change the main verb and the meaning shifts:

Yağmur yağdığı halde etkinlik devam ediyor. (present)
For future/hypothetical, Turks often use -sa da: Yağmur yağsa da etkinlik devam edecek.

Could I use -sa da instead: Yağmur yağsa da…?

Yes. -sa da/-se de expresses concession too:

Yağmur yağsa da etkinlik devam etti. It can sound a bit more conversational and sometimes slightly hypothetical/generic, but in practice it often means “even though.”

What’s the difference between yağmur yağdığı halde and yağmur yağarken?

... yağdığı halde = concessive “although,” highlighting contrast with the expected outcome.
... yağarken = purely temporal “while,” no built-in contrast. Compare: Yağmur yağarken etkinlik devam etti = “The event continued while it was raining,” without the “despite” nuance.

Why use devam etti? Could I say sürdü?

Yes. Devam etmek (light verb + noun) and sürmek both mean “to continue.”

Etkinlik devam etti.
Etkinlik sürdü. Both are natural; devam etmek is extremely common and works with many nouns.

Where can I put the concessive clause? Do I need commas?

Both orders are fine:

Yağmur yağdığı halde etkinlik devam etti.
Etkinlik, yağmur yağdığı halde, devam etti. (comma optional; one comma is often enough) Turkish usually places the concessive clause first, but after the subject is also common. Use a comma if it helps readability.

How do I say “despite the rain” using a noun instead of a verb?

Use a noun with -E + rağmen:

Yağmura rağmen etkinlik devam etti. This is very natural and avoids building a verbal clause.

How is ğ in yağdığı pronounced?

Turkish ğ (soft g) is not a full consonant; it lengthens or glides the preceding vowel. So yağdığı sounds like “yaa-dı-ı,” with a lengthened a. Don’t pronounce it like a hard “g.”

Is halde the same as halbuki?

No.

halde is a postposition meaning “although/while (being in the state that…)” when used with a clause.
halbuki is a conjunction meaning “however/whereas.” Example: Yağmur yağıyordu, halbuki etkinlik iptal edilmedi.