Learn Hardcore Turkish: Hava yağmurlu olsa da seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum. - Even if the weather is rainy, I want to walk on the seaside with you.

In practice it usually corresponds to English “even if / even though the weather is rainy”. The conditional form (olsa) plus da creates a concessive meaning: “despite X, Y happens / I still want Y.”

What is the difference between olsa da and ama (but)?

Both express contrast, but they work differently:

ama / fakat / ancak = coordinating conjunctions, like English “but”.
- Example: Hava yağmurlu, ama seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.
  → The weather is rainy, but I want to walk with you on the beach.
olsa da = part of a subordinate concessive clause, like “even if / although”.
- Example: Hava yağmurlu olsa da seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.
  → Even if / although the weather is rainy, I want to walk with you on the beach.

With olsa da, the “rainy weather” part feels more like a background condition that doesn’t stop the main desire. With ama, it feels like you are putting two statements side by side and then contrasting them.

Why is it hava yağmurlu and not something like hava yağmur?

In Turkish, yağmur means rain (a noun). To say rainy, Turkish uses the suffix -lı / -li / -lu / -lü, which roughly means with / having.

yağmur (rain) + -lu → yağmurlu = rainy, with rain

So:

hava yağmurlu = the weather is rainy / there is rainy weather

Saying hava yağmur would be ungrammatical, just like saying in English “the weather rain” instead of “the weather is rainy.”

What is the difference between hava yağmurlu and yağmur yağıyor?

Both are natural, but they focus slightly different things:

Hava yağmurlu.
- Literally: The weather is rainy.
- Describes the state/condition of the weather.
Yağmur yağıyor.
- Literally: Rain is falling. (yağmur = rain, yağmak = to fall as precipitation)
- Describes the ongoing action of rain falling.

In your sentence, hava yağmurlu olsa da could be replaced with yağmur yağsa da:

Yağmur yağsa da seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.
→ Even if it’s raining, I want to walk with you on the beach.

Both are correct; hava yağmurlu olsa da sounds a bit more like “even if the weather is rainy (in general).”

Why do we say yürümek istiyorum and not just a finite verb like yürüyorum istiyorum?

In Turkish, the verb istemek (to want) normally takes another verb in the infinitive form (-mek / -mak):

yürümek istiyorum
- yürümek = to walk (infinitive)
- istiyorum = I want

So literally: “I want to walk.”

You would not say yürüyorum istiyorum; that sounds like two separate statements (I am walking, I want).

There is also a form with -i (accusative), like yürümeyi istiyorum, but it’s less common in everyday speech and feels more like “I want the act of walking (as an object).” The most natural version here is yürümek istiyorum.

Why is seninle used for “with you”? Why not sende or something else?

“With” in Turkish is expressed by ile, which usually attaches to the noun or pronoun:

sen (you) + ile → seninle (with you)

For personal pronouns, the standard forms are:

benimle (with me)
seninle (with you)
onunla (with him/her/it)
bizimle (with us)
sizinle (with you, plural/formal)
onlarla (with them)

-de / -da (as in sende) is the locative suffix, meaning in / on / at, not with.

sende = on you / at your place, not with you.

So seninle yürümek = to walk with you, and sende yürümek would be wrong in this sense.

Can I say senle instead of seninle? Is there a difference?

Yes, in everyday spoken Turkish people often say:

benle instead of benimle
senle instead of seninle

So:

Seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum. (standard)
Senle sahilde yürümek istiyorum. (colloquial, more casual)

Both are understood the same way. Seninle is more standard/neutral; senle sounds more informal but is very common in speech.

What does the -de in sahilde mean?

Sahil means beach / shore. The suffix -de / -da / -te / -ta is the locative case, meaning in, on, at.

sahil
- -de → sahilde = on the beach / at the beach

So seninle sahilde yürümek literally is to walk with you on the beach.

Don’t confuse this -de (attached as a suffix) with the clitic de/da meaning also / too / even, which is written separately (olsa da).

How flexible is the word order here? Can I move things around?

Turkish word order is relatively flexible, especially for emphasis. Your sentence:

Hava yağmurlu olsa da seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.

Possible variations (all correct, but with slightly different emphasis):

Seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum, hava yağmurlu olsa da.
→ Emphasis at the end on “even if the weather is rainy.”
Sahilde seninle yürümek istiyorum, hava yağmurlu olsa da.
→ Slight emphasis on “on the beach, with you.”
Hava yağmurlu olsa da, sahilde seninle yürümek istiyorum.
→ Very close to the original; just adds a pause after the concessive clause.

The main verb usually stays at/near the end of its own clause (istiyorum stays last in the main clause), but the other phrases can move for nuance.

Does olsa mean “might be” or “were”? Is this hypothetical or real?

-sa / -se is the conditional suffix, so olsa literally suggests a hypothetical: if it were / if it is.

In context, Hava yağmurlu olsa da… can cover both:

Even if it’s (going to be) rainy (future / hypothetical)
Even though it’s rainy (actual present situation)

Turkish uses this conditional form very often in concessive structures, even when in English you might choose a straightforward present: “even though it is.” So it doesn’t always sound as “hypothetical” to a Turkish ear as “if it were” might in English.

Could we say Yağmurlu olsa da without hava?

Yes. Hava (weather) is often omitted when it’s obvious from context:

Yağmurlu olsa da seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.
→ Even if it’s rainy, I want to walk with you on the beach.

Native speakers will automatically understand that yağmurlu refers to the weather. Both with hava and without hava are natural.

Are there other ways to say “even though the weather is rainy” in Turkish?

Yes, several:

Hava yağmurlu olmasına rağmen seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.
- -masına rağmen = although / despite the fact that
Hava yağmurlu olsa bile seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.
- bile adds emphasis: even if (stronger concessive)
Hava yağmurlu ama seninle sahilde yürümek istiyorum.
- ama = but (coordinating, not subordinate)

Your original hava yağmurlu olsa da is a very natural, common way to express this concessive meaning.