Breakdown of Bu akşam komşulara lezzetli çorba gönderiyorum.
Questions & Answers about Bu akşam komşulara lezzetli çorba gönderiyorum.
Why does gönderiyorum end with -yorum? Is it present tense or “I’m doing it right now”?
-yor is the Turkish present continuous / progressive marker. So gönderiyorum literally means I am sending.
- In real life it can also cover planned near-future actions, especially with a time phrase like Bu akşam (this evening/tonight). So it can mean I’m sending tonight even if you haven’t started yet.
- If you want a more “general/habitual” meaning (I send (in general)), Turkish often uses the aorist: gönderirim.
What exactly is komşulara grammatically, and why is the ending -a there?
komşulara = komşu + lar + a
- komşu = neighbor
- -lar = plural (neighbors)
- -a = dative case = to/toward
So komşulara means to the neighbors. Turkish marks “to whom?” with the dative rather than using a separate word like to.
Could it also be singular—like “to the neighbor”? How would that change?
Yes. Singular would be:
- komşuya = komşu + ya (dative) The extra y is a buffer consonant to avoid two vowels colliding (komşu + a → komşuya).
Why is there no word for I (ben) in the sentence?
Turkish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject:
- gönderiyorum ends with -um, which marks 1st person singular (I). You can add ben for emphasis/contrast: Ben bu akşam komşulara lezzetli çorba gönderiyorum.
Is the word order fixed? Could I move things around?
The neutral order here is very natural: Time + (to whom) + object + verb. But Turkish word order is flexible; moving parts changes focus/emphasis more than basic meaning:
- Bu akşam komşulara lezzetli çorba gönderiyorum. (neutral)
- Komşulara bu akşam lezzetli çorba gönderiyorum. (focus a bit more on to the neighbors)
- Lezzetli çorba gönderiyorum bu akşam. (more conversational/poetic; still correct)
Why is lezzetli before çorba? Can it go after?
In Turkish, adjectives normally come before the noun they describe:
- lezzetli çorba = delicious soup If you put it after, it usually becomes a predicate (a statement):
- Çorba lezzetli. = The soup is delicious.
Do we need bir here? What’s the difference between with and without it?
You can say:
- lezzetli çorba = delicious soup (often sounds like “some soup / soup in general” depending on context)
- bir lezzetli çorba = a delicious soup (more clearly one portion/one kind, a bit more specific) In many everyday sentences, Turkish can omit bir and still be perfectly natural.
Why doesn’t çorba take a direct-object ending like -ı/-i?
Turkish adds the accusative ending to the direct object mainly when it’s definite/specific.
- No accusative: çorba gönderiyorum = sending (some) soup / soup as an indefinite item
- With accusative: çorbayı gönderiyorum = sending the soup (a specific soup you both know about)
How is Bu akşam different from Bu akşama?
- Bu akşam = this evening/tonight (time expression; no case ending needed)
- Bu akşama (dative) = for/by this evening or toward this evening depending on context, e.g.
Bu akşama hazır olur. = It will be ready by this evening.
Are there other common verbs besides göndermek for this situation? What nuance changes?
Yes, and the choice changes the picture:
- gönderiyorum = I’m sending (someone delivers / you arrange delivery)
- götürüyorum = I’m taking it (there) myself
- yolluyorum = very common, similar to gönderiyorum, often slightly more casual So if you personally carry the soup over, Bu akşam komşulara lezzetli çorba götürüyorum is often the most direct.
More from this lesson
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning TurkishMaster Turkish — from Bu akşam komşulara lezzetli çorba gönderiyorum to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions