Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sizin gelmenizle toplantı resmen başladı; hoş geldiniz. - With your arrival, the meeting officially started; welcome.

It literally means “with your coming/arrival” or “upon your arrival.”
Morphology: gel (come) + -me (verbal noun) + -niz (your, formal/plural possessive) + -le (with/along with).
The -le here often implies “as soon as/at the moment of,” sometimes with a causal flavor.

Why include both sizin and the possessive -niz in gelmeniz? Is sizin necessary?

The possessive is shown on the noun/nominalized verb (gelmeniz = “your coming”). The independent pronoun sizin is optional.
Sizin adds emphasis, politeness, or contrast (as in “your arrival, in particular”).
You can omit it: Gelmenizle toplantı resmen başladı is fully correct.

Could we say gelişinizle instead of gelmenizle? Any difference?

Yes. gelişinizle = geliş (arrival, noun) + -iniz (your) + -le (with).
Nuance: gelişinizle sounds slightly more formal and nouny; gelmenizle feels more verbal. Both mean “upon your arrival.”

What’s the difference between gelmenizle, gelince, and geldiğinizde?

gelmenizle: “with/at the moment of your arrival,” often implying immediate trigger.
gelince: “when you come/arrive” (more conversational).
geldiğinizde: “when you arrived” (neutral, a bit more explicit about time). All three can fit here with small nuance differences.

Could we rephrase with a causative, like Sizin gelmeniz toplantıyı resmen başlattı? How does that differ from başladı?

Yes, that’s grammatical.
başlamak is intransitive: the meeting starts by itself (subject = meeting).
başlatmak is transitive/causative: something causes it to start (subject = your arrival). It makes the causal link stronger.

How does -le/-la work here? When do we use -le vs ile vs -yle?

ile means “with/and.” In practice it often cliticizes:
- After a consonant: attach -le/-la by vowel harmony (e.g., gelmenizle, kalemle).
- After a vowel: insert buffer y (e.g., arabayla, anneyle).
Writing ile separately (gelmeniz ile) is possible but less common in this context.

Why is the word order Sizin gelmenizle toplantı resmen başladı? Can we move things around?

Typical order is time/cause → subject → adverb → verb.
You can reorder for emphasis:
- Toplantı sizin gelmenizle resmen başladı.
- Sizin gelmenizle resmen toplantı başladı. The earlier element is more topical/emphasized.

What does resmen mean compared to resmi olarak? Are both correct?

Both mean “officially.”
resmen is a ready-made adverb; short and common.
resmi olarak literally “in an official manner”; slightly more formal/explicit. Either works here.

Why is the simple past başladı used? Could it be başlamış?

başladı is the direct past; the speaker asserts it as a known/witnessed fact.
başlamış is the evidential past; it would sound like “apparently/it seems the meeting started,” which doesn’t fit a formal announcement as well.

Why is toplantı unmarked for “the/a”? Does Turkish use articles?

Turkish has no articles like “a/the.”
Bare toplantı is interpreted from context; here it means “the meeting” that everyone knows about.

Why a semicolon before hoş geldiniz? Could we use a period or an exclamation mark?

The semicolon links two closely related independent clauses: the announcement and the greeting.
A period is fine: Toplantı resmen başladı. Hoş geldiniz.
Many prefer an exclamation for warmth: Hoş geldiniz!

What does hoş geldiniz literally mean, and why is geldiniz in the past?

Literally: “You came pleasantly,” i.e., “Welcome.”
gel-di-niz is past tense, 2nd person plural/formal. It’s a fixed greeting used right at arrival; the past form is idiomatic.

What are the informal vs polite versions of the greeting, and how do people reply?

Is Hoş geldiniz one word or two?

Standard spelling is two words: hoş geldiniz.
You’ll see Hoşgeldiniz informally, but the two-word form is preferred in standard writing. An exclamation mark is common.

Pronunciation tips for gelmenizle and hoş geldiniz?

gelmenizle: say [gel-me-niz-le]; the z links smoothly to l (no extra vowel).
hoş is “hosh”; geldiniz has a hard g as in “get.” Turkish stress is usually on the last syllable, so here on -niz.

How would the whole sentence change for informal singular address?