Ben ayakkabıları parlatıyorum.

Breakdown of Ben ayakkabıları parlatıyorum.

ben
I
ayakkabı
the shoe
parlatmak
to polish
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Questions & Answers about Ben ayakkabıları parlatıyorum.

Do I have to say Ben, or can I omit it?
You can omit it. The ending of the verb -yorum already shows the subject is first person singular. Use Ben only for emphasis or contrast, e.g., Ayakkabıları ben parlatıyorum (It’s me who is polishing the shoes).
What does ayakkabıları break down into?
  • ayakkabı = shoe
  • -lar = plural
  • = accusative case (direct object, definite) So ayakkabıları means “the shoes” as a definite direct object.
Why is there an accusative ending ? Turkish doesn’t have “the,” right?

Right—there’s no separate word for “the.” Turkish uses the accusative on direct objects to mark them as specific/definite. Compare:

  • Ayakkabı parlatıyorum. = I’m polishing shoes (in general/indefinite).
  • Ayakkabıları parlatıyorum. = I’m polishing the shoes (specific, known ones).
Why is it -lar and not -ler?
Vowel harmony. The last vowel of ayakkabı is ı (a back vowel), so the plural takes the back form -lar, giving ayakkabılar-.
How is parlatıyorum formed?
  • Root: parla- (to shine)
  • Causative: -t-parlat- (to make shine = to polish)
  • Present continuous: -(I)yor-ıyor (back vowel harmony after a) → parlatıyor-
  • 1st person singular: -um (after yor) → parlatıyorum The suffix -(I)yor always contains the consonant y; its vowel (ı/i/u/ü) follows vowel harmony. After -yor, the personal endings are fixed: -um, -sun, (Ø), -uz, -sunuz, -lar.
Why not parlıyorum?
Parlamak = to shine (intransitive: something itself shines). Parlatmak = to make shine (transitive: you shine/polish something). You need the transitive verb because there’s an object.
What’s the difference between parlatıyorum and parlatırım?
  • parlatıyorum: present continuous (I’m polishing [now/these days])
  • parlatırım: aorist/habitual (I polish [as a habit or generally], e.g., as part of a routine or job)
How do I say “a shoe,” “the shoe,” “my shoes,” “his/her shoes”?
  • a shoe (indefinite): Bir ayakkabı parlatıyorum.
  • the shoe (definite): Ayakkabıyı parlatıyorum. (note buffer y because the noun ends in a vowel)
  • my shoes (definite): Ayakkabılarımı parlatıyorum.
  • his/her shoes (definite): Ayakkabılarını parlatıyorum.
    Tip: ayakkabıları by itself can mean “his/her shoes” as a possessed noun (nominative), but as a possessed object it takes an extra -(n)I: ayakkabılarını.
Is ayakkabıları ambiguous?

Yes, out of context it could be:

  • plural + accusative: the shoes (as in your sentence), or
  • 3rd person possessed plural (nominative): his/her/their shoes.
    But if it’s a possessed object, you’ll see -n- before the case: Ayakkabılarını parlatıyorum = I’m polishing his/her/their shoes. You can disambiguate with pronouns: Onun ayakkabılarını… (his/her), Onların ayakkabılarını… (their).
Can I move words around? What changes?

Basic order is Subject–Object–Verb. Variants change focus/emphasis:

  • Ayakkabıları parlatıyorum. (neutral, object-focused)
  • Ben ayakkabıları parlatıyorum. (adds/emphasizes the subject “I”)
  • Ayakkabıları ben parlatıyorum. (It’s me who polishes the shoes)
  • Ben parlatıyorum ayakkabıları. (marked; postverbal object draws focus to the object; used in specific discourse contexts)
How do I negate or ask a yes/no question?
  • Negation: insert -ma/-me before -yorAyakkabıları parlatmıyorum. (I’m not polishing the shoes.)
  • Yes/no question: add the question particle (separate word) with harmony → Ayakkabıları parlatıyor muyum? (Am I polishing the shoes?)
Pronunciation tips for ayakkabıları parlatıyorum?
  • ı (dotless i) is a back, unrounded vowel, like the final vowel in “sofa” (but farther back): [ɯ].
  • Double kk is a true geminate; keep it short and crisp.
  • Syllables: a-yak-ka-bı-la-rı par-la-tı-yo-rum. Primary stress usually falls on the last syllable of each word.
Is there a more common verb than parlatmak for shoes?
If you mean applying shoe polish, boyamak is very common: Ayakkabıları boyuyorum (I’m polishing/blackening the shoes). Parlatmak emphasizes making them shiny (buffing/lustering), often after or without dye.
How would I say this in the passive voice?
Ayakkabılar parlatılıyor. (The shoes are being polished.)
How do I say “I’m going to polish the shoes (later/tomorrow)”?

Use the future tense: Ayakkabıları parlatacağım. Add a time word for clarity:

  • Yarın ayakkabıları parlatacağım. (I’ll polish the shoes tomorrow.)
    For “I’ve been polishing … for [time]”: Ayakkabıları bir saattir parlatıyorum. (I’ve been polishing the shoes for an hour.)
Any rules about number words and plurality with objects?

After numbers, don’t use the plural suffix on the noun:

  • İki çift ayakkabı parlatıyorum. (I’m polishing two pairs of shoes.)
    If the object is definite, add accusative:
  • İki çifti parlatıyorum. or İki çift ayakkabıyı parlatıyorum.
Can you give the full morpheme-by-morpheme breakdown?
  • Ben = I (optional)
  • ayakkabı-lar-ı = shoe-PL-ACC (the shoes)
  • parla-t-ı-yor-um = shine-CAUS-AUX.VOW-PROG-1SG → “I am causing [them] to shine” = I am polishing.