Learn Hardcore Turkish: Merdivenin her basamağı ıslak.

"Merdivenin" is in the genitive case, meaning "of the staircase."
It’s part of a genitive–possessive (izafet) structure: possessor in genitive + possessed with a possessive suffix.
Form: merdiven + -in → merdivenin. Vowel harmony picks -in because the last vowel in "merdiven" is front/unrounded (e).
The genitive is required because we’re saying “every step of the staircase.”

Why does "basamağı" have that -ı ending, and why did k turn into ğ?

The -ı is the 3rd person singular possessive suffix: “its step.”
In a genitive–possessive pair, the possessed noun must take 3sg possessive: merdiven-in basamak-ı.
Because the stem ends in a consonant, you add -(s)I without the buffer s: basamak + ı.
Turkish lenition: final k softens to ğ before a vowel-initial suffix → basamağı.
Vowel harmony chooses -ı (back, unrounded) because the last vowel of "basamak" is a (back, unrounded).

Why is it "her basamağı" (singular) and not "her basamakları" (plural)?

In Turkish, her always takes a singular noun: her gün, her öğrenci, her basamak.
With a possessor, you still keep it singular and possessed: merdivenin her basamağı.
You cannot say her basamakları. If you want a plural meaning like “all,” use bütün/tüm: merdivenin bütün/tüm basamakları.

Where is the verb “is”? Why is there no verb in the sentence?

Turkish often drops the present copula “to be” in the 3rd person: predicate adjectives and nouns stand alone.
So ıslak functions as “is wet.”
This is standard in simple present statements: Kapı açık (“The door is open”), Çocuk mutlu (“The child is happy”), etc.

Is “Merdivenin her basamağı ıslaktır” also correct? What’s the nuance?

Yes. Adding -dır/-dir/-dur/-dür (the copular suffix) makes it more formal, general, or emphatic.
Merdivenin her basamağı ıslaktır sounds like a general statement or a careful assertion (e.g., in a report), whereas … ıslak is what you’d use in everyday speech.

Why isn’t it “ıslaklar”? Shouldn’t the predicate agree in number?

Predicate adjectives in Turkish do not take plural marking: Basamaklar ıslak (“The steps are wet”), not “ıslaklar.”
Plural on the predicate is used only when the predicate is a noun referring to humans and even then it’s optional and stylistic. Adjectives stay unmarked.

Can I say “Merdivendeki her basamak ıslak”? How is that different?

Yes: Merdivendeki her basamak ıslak = “Every step on the staircase is wet.”
Difference:
- merdivenin … basamağı (genitive + possessive) = “every step of the staircase” (ownership/part–whole).
- merdivendeki … basamak (locative + ki) = “every step that is on the staircase” (location/relative “that…-ki”).
Both are natural; the genitive feels a bit more “of-the-whole,” while -deki highlights location.

Can I drop “merdivenin” and just say “Her basamak ıslak”?

Yes, if the context makes it clear which staircase you’re talking about. Her basamak ıslak = “Every step is wet.”
When you remove the possessor, you also remove the possessive suffix: basamak (not basamağı).

What’s the difference between “her,” “bütün/tüm,” and “hepsi” in this context?

her + singular noun: emphasizes each item individually. Example: Her basamak ıslak.
bütün/tüm + plural noun: “all (of)” as a set. Example: Merdivenin bütün/tüm basamakları ıslak.
hepsi (“all of them”): pronoun referring back to a plural set. Example: Merdivenin basamaklarının hepsi ıslak.
Meaning overlaps, but nuance differs: “her” = distributive, “bütün/tüm” = collective, “hepsi” = pronoun.

How do I negate this naturally?

To say “Not every step is wet”: Merdivenin her basamağı ıslak değil or more idiomatically Basamakların hepsi ıslak değil.
To say “None of the steps are wet”: Merdivenin hiçbir basamağı ıslak değil.
To say “Some steps aren’t wet”: Merdivenin bazı basamakları ıslak değil.

Which part is the subject here?

The subject is Merdivenin her basamağı (“every step of the staircase”).
Islak is the predicate adjective.
Even though the meaning is distributive/plural-like, the grammar is singular because of her + singular.

Any pronunciation tips for “ı,” “ğ,” and the tricky words here?

ı (dotless i) is a back, unrounded vowel; think of a relaxed “uh” produced further back: ıslak ≈ [ɯs-lak].
ğ (yumuşak g) usually lengthens the preceding vowel; it’s not a hard “g.” basamağı ≈ [ba-sa-maa-].
Word-by-word:
- merdivenin: mer-di-VE-nin (stress tends to fall near the end).
- basamağı: ba-sa-MA-ğı (the ğ lengthens the a).
- ıslak: ıs-LAK (sentence-final predicate often carries the main stress).

Why can’t I say “Merdivenin her basamağın ıslak”?

In genitive–possessive constructions, the possessor takes genitive, and the possessed takes a possessive suffix—not genitive.
Correct pattern: [Genitive possessor] + [Possessed + 3sg possessive] → merdiven-in basamak-ı.
basamağın is genitive and would make two genitives. That breaks the pattern.

Could I express the same idea in other ways?

Yes, common alternatives include:
- Merdivenin bütün/tüm basamakları ıslak.
- Merdivendeki basamakların hepsi ıslak.
- Her basamak ıslak.
All are natural; choose based on whether you want distributive emphasis (her) or collective (“all”).