Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kayısı reçeli bitince, annem marketten yenisini alacak. - When the apricot jam runs out, my mother will buy a new one from the market.

Breakdown of Kayısı reçeli bitince, annem marketten yenisini alacak.

What does bitince mean, and how is it formed?

Bitince comes from the verb bitmek, which means to end, to be finished, or to run out.

The ending -ince means when, once, or after in a time-clause sense.

So:

In this sentence, Kayısı reçeli bitince means When the apricot jam runs out.

Why is bitmek used here instead of a verb meaning to finish something?

Because bitmek is an intransitive verb. It describes something ending by itself or being used up.

Here, the jam is the thing that runs out:

If you wanted to say that someone finished something, Turkish often uses the transitive verb bitirmek:

So in this sentence, bitince is correct because the apricot jam is the thing that becomes finished.

Why is it kayısı reçeli and not just kayısı reçel?