Breakdown of Bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum.
Questions & Answers about Bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum.
Hazırlarken comes from the verb hazırlamak (to prepare).
- hazırla- – prepare
- -rken – “while doing / when (I am) doing”
So hazırlarken means “while (I am) preparing / while (I am) packing.”
The suffix -ken attaches to the verb stem (often written as -rken) and turns it into a “while doing X” form:
- yazmak → yazarken – while writing
- gelmek → gelirken – while coming
- okumak → okurken – while reading
In your sentence, bavul hazırlarken = “while (I am) packing a suitcase.”
Turkish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- yerleştiriyorum = yerleştir- (to place/arrange) + -iyor (continuous) + -um (I)
So yerleştiriyorum already means “I am placing / I place.”
Adding ben would be possible but not necessary:
- Ben bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum.
You normally only say ben if you want to emphasize “I (not someone else)”.
Both are possible, but they have a slightly different nuance:
- bavul hazırlarken – while (I am) packing *a suitcase / packing (suitcases)
- *bavul
- bavulu hazırlarken – while (I am) packing *the suitcase
- *bavul-u
In everyday speech, bavul hazırlamak is a common phrase meaning “to pack (a) suitcase” in a general sense, so using bavul without -u is very natural here.
Şey means “thing.”
- şey – thing
- şeyler – things (plural)
- şeyleri – the things (plural + definite object ending -i)
Here the idea is “the important things”, not just one thing, so Turkish uses the plural:
- önemli şeyleri – the important things (as the object of the verb)
If it were önemli şeyi, it would mean “the important thing” (one thing only).
The -i at the end of şeyleri is the accusative case ending, marking a definite direct object (something specific/known).
- şeyler – things (in general)
- şeyleri (yerleştiriyorum) – I’m placing the things (the important ones we both know about)
In Turkish, when the object is definite (specific things, previously mentioned, or clear from context), it usually takes -i/-ı/-u/-ü depending on vowel harmony:
- kitabı okuyorum – I’m reading the book
- elmayı yiyorum – I’m eating the apple
- önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum – I’m placing the important things
Önce means “first” / “first of all” / “before anything else” in this sentence.
- önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum – first, I place the important things.
You can move önce around a bit:
- Bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum.
- Bavul hazırlarken önemli şeyleri önce yerleştiriyorum.
Both are natural. The difference is tiny:
- önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum – emphasizes the time order: first this action.
- önemli şeyleri önce yerleştiriyorum – slightly emphasizes those important things being done first.
But functionally, both mean the same thing in everyday use.
In Turkish, adjectives normally come before the nouns they describe:
- önemli şey – important thing
- büyük ev – big house
- güzel kitap – beautiful book
So önemli şeyleri is the natural, correct order: adjective + noun + case ending.
Şeyleri önemli would be grammatically odd here. That word order would only make sense in a different structure, like:
- Şeyleri önemli buluyorum. – I find the things important.
But in your sentence, önemli is just an adjective, not a predicate, so it must come before şey.
In Turkish, the present continuous tense (-iyor) is often used not only for “right now” actions but also for repeated / habitual actions, especially when describing personal routines or typical ways of doing things.
- Genelde sabahları kahve içiyorum. – I (generally) drink coffee in the mornings.
- Her yaz tatile gidiyorum. – I go on holiday every summer.
So:
- Bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum.
= When I pack a suitcase, I first put in the important things. (a general strategy/habit)
You could also use the aorist (-ir) for more of a timeless “rule-like” habit:
- Bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiririm.
Both are grammatically fine; -iyorum just sounds a bit more conversational and personal.
Both can be used when you’re putting things into a suitcase, but they’re slightly different:
- koymak – to put, to place (neutral, very common)
- yerleştirmek – to place/arrange systematically, to organize into a place
Yerleştirmek suggests a bit more intentional arrangement or organizing:
- Kitapları rafa yerleştiriyorum. – I’m arranging/placing the books on the shelf.
- Eşyaları dolaba yerleştirdim. – I arranged/put the items in the cupboard.
In your sentence, yerleştiriyorum fits well because packing a suitcase often implies arranging things, not just tossing them in.
Yes, that is correct Turkish too.
- yerleştiriyorum (present continuous) – feels more personal, conversational, like describing how you (typically) do it.
- yerleştiririm (aorist) – feels a bit more like a general rule, instruction, or habit, almost like a step in a checklist.
So:
Bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiriyorum.
→ Sounds like you’re casually describing your usual way of packing.Bavul hazırlarken önce önemli şeyleri yerleştiririm.
→ Sounds slightly more like you’re stating a rule or explaining your method.
-ken is most commonly used with verbs:
- yürürken – while walking
- yemek yerken – while eating
- konuşurken – while speaking
But it can also appear with some nouns or adverbs of time/age, where the meaning is “when (I was) X”:
- çocukken – when (I was) a child
- gençken – when (I was) young
- yoldayken – when (I was) on the road / while on the way
In bavul hazırlarken, it’s attached to a verb phrase, giving the meaning “while (I am) packing a suitcase.”