Yağmur başlamadan önce kuru otu ambara taşıdık.

It means before it started or before it begins, depending on context.

In this sentence, yağmur başlamadan önce means before the rain started.

This pattern is very common in Turkish:

• verb + -madan/-meden önce = before doing / before something happens

So:

• başla- = to start
• başlamadan önce = before starting / before it started

Even though it looks literally close to without starting, this whole structure is the normal way to express before with a verb.

Because Turkish adds the converb ending -madan/-meden to the verb stem.

Breakdown:

• başla- = start
• -ma- = negative element
• -dan = part of the fixed converb form -madan/-meden

Together, başlamadan often means:

• without starting
• or, in time expressions, before starting / before it started

So in this sentence, başlamadan önce is a set expression meaning before the rain started.

Because yağmur is the subject of the subordinate clause yağmur başlamadan önce.

It is the thing that starts:

• yağmur başlamak = the rain starts

So it stays in its basic form, with no case ending.

You can think of the first part as:

• before the rain started

where rain is the subject of started.

Because kuru otu is the direct object, and it is specific/definite.

In Turkish, a specific direct object usually takes the accusative ending:

• ot = grass / hay
• otu = the grass / the hay as a specific object

So:

• kuru ot taşıdık = we carried dry grass (some dry grass, less specific)
• kuru otu taşıdık = we carried the dry grass / the hay (specific)

That -u is the accusative ending here.

Because taşımak here is used with a destination, and the destination takes the dative case.

• ambar = barn / granary / storage building
• ambara = to the barn / into the granary

So:

• kuru otu ambara taşıdık = we carried the dry grass to the barn

The ending -a / -e often means to.

Taşıdık means we carried or we moved.

Breakdown:

• taşı- = carry / transport / move
• -dı- = past tense
• -k = we

So:

• taşıdık = we carried

Turkish often includes the subject inside the verb ending, so there is no separate word for we here.

Because in Turkish, adjectives normally come before the noun, just like in English.

• kuru ot = dry grass / dry hay

Also, Turkish adjectives do not change form for number or case. The adjective stays the same:

• kuru ot
• kuru otu
• kuru otlar
• kuru otları

The endings go on the noun, not the adjective.

Often, yes, depending on context.

Literally, kuru ot means dry grass or dried herb/grass. In a farming context like this one, it very naturally refers to hay.

So although the literal words are dry grass, the natural English meaning may be hay.

This order is very natural in Turkish:

• Yağmur başlamadan önce = time/background
• kuru otu = object
• ambara = destination
• taşıdık = verb

Turkish often puts the verb at the end. Information like time or condition often comes earlier.

A very common pattern is:

• Time + object + place/direction + verb

So this sentence sounds normal and neutral.

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible, but the emphasis changes.

For example, these are also possible:

• Kuru otu yağmur başlamadan önce ambara taşıdık.
• Ambara kuru otu yağmur başlamadan önce taşıdık.

They all mean roughly the same thing, but the original sentence is a very natural, straightforward order.

Turkish changes word order more for emphasis than for basic grammar.

Because Turkish does not have a direct equivalent of the English definite article the.

Definiteness is often shown in other ways, especially by case marking.

Here, kuru otu sounds specific because of the accusative ending -u. That helps give the sense of the dry grass / the hay.

So Turkish does not need a separate word like the.

Yes, you often can:

• Yağmur başlamadan kuru otu ambara taşıdık.

This is still natural and still means we carried the hay before the rain started.

Adding önce makes the before meaning more explicit. So:

• başlamadan = can already suggest before starting in context
• başlamadan önce = a very clear and common way to say before it started

Both are possible, but -madan önce is especially common for learners to notice and remember.