Çayın yanında iki bisküvi yiyorum.

Because yanında is built from the noun yan meaning side plus a possessive ending, and the noun before it usually takes the genitive ending.

So:

• çay = tea
• çayın = of the tea / tea’s
• yanı = its side
• yanında = at its side / beside it

So çayın yanında literally means something like at the tea’s side, but in natural English it means with the tea or next to the tea.

This is a very common Turkish structure:

• evin yanında = next to the house
• okulun yanında = next to the school
• benim yanımda = next to me / with me

Yanında literally means at its side or next to it.

In this sentence, it has the sense of together with or served alongside. So çayın yanında iki bisküvi yiyorum means that the biscuits are being eaten with the tea.

Breakdown:

• yan = side
• -ı = possessive ending
• -nda = locative ending in/on/at

So yanında = at its side

Depending on context, yanında can mean:

• next to
• beside
• with

Here, with is the most natural translation.

In Turkish, after a number, the noun usually stays singular.

So:

• bir bisküvi = one biscuit
• iki bisküvi = two biscuits
• üç bisküvi = three biscuits

This is different from English, where we normally say two biscuits with a plural noun. In Turkish, the number already shows plurality, so adding the plural ending is usually unnecessary.

So iki bisküvi is correct, while iki bisküviler would normally sound wrong.

Because iki bisküvi is an indefinite direct object.

In Turkish, a direct object often gets the accusative ending only when it is definite or specific.

Compare:

• İki bisküvi yiyorum. = I’m eating two biscuits.
  
  • indefinite / just two biscuits
• İki bisküviyi yiyorum. = I’m eating the two biscuits / those two biscuits.
  
  • definite / specific

So in your sentence, bisküvi has no accusative because it is not being presented as a specific, known set.

Yiyorum is the present continuous form of yemek (to eat).

• yiyorum = I am eating

In many everyday situations, Turkish uses this -iyor form where English might use either:

• I am eating
• sometimes even I eat, depending on context

By contrast:

• yerim is the aorist form, often used for habits, general truths, or regular actions
• yiyorum focuses more on a current or ongoing action

So:

• Çayın yanında iki bisküvi yiyorum. = I’m eating two biscuits with my tea.
• Çayın yanında iki bisküvi yerim. = I eat two biscuits with tea / I usually eat two biscuits with tea.

This is because yemek is slightly irregular in this form.

The stem is ye-. When the -iyor ending is added, Turkish contracts it:

• expected-looking form: ye-iyor
• actual form: yiyor-
• full form: yiyorum

So the forms are:

• yiyorum = I am eating
• yiyorsun = you are eating
• yiyor = he/she/it is eating

This is just something to get used to, and it’s very common.

Because Turkish usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb already shows the subject clearly.

In yiyorum, the ending -um tells you the subject is I.

So:

• (Ben) yiyorum = I am eating

Both are possible, but ben is often omitted unless you want emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• Ben yiyorum, o yemiyor. = I am eating, but he/she isn’t.

In your sentence, ben is unnecessary because yiyorum already makes the subject clear.

Turkish word order is often Subject – Object – Verb, while English is usually Subject – Verb – Object.

So in this sentence:

• Çayın yanında = with the tea
• iki bisküvi = two biscuits
• yiyorum = I am eating

The verb normally comes at the end.

A very literal order would be:

• With the tea two biscuits am-eating.

That sounds strange in English, but it is normal in Turkish.

Turkish is flexible with word order, but the verb at the end is the most neutral pattern.

Yes. Turkish allows some flexibility, depending on what you want to emphasize.

For example:

• Çayın yanında iki bisküvi yiyorum. = neutral
• İki bisküvi çayın yanında yiyorum. = puts more attention on two biscuits
• Ben çayın yanında iki bisküvi yiyorum. = emphasizes I

But the most natural neutral version is the one you were given.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Literally, çayın yanında is beside the tea. But in food contexts, Turkish very often uses yanında to mean served with or eaten with.

So here it naturally means:

• with tea
• alongside tea

For example:

• Köftenin yanında pilav var. = There is rice with the meatballs.
• Kahvenin yanında lokum yedim. = I ate Turkish delight with the coffee.

So the phrase is very common when talking about food and drink combinations.

A few useful points:

• ç is pronounced like ch in chair
  • çay sounds like chai
• ı is the Turkish dotless i
  • it does not sound like English ee
  • it is a back vowel, somewhat like a relaxed vowel in the middle/back of the mouth
• ğ does not appear in this sentence, so that’s one less thing to worry about
• bisküvi is pronounced roughly bis-kü-vi
  • ü is like the German ü or French u

So approximate pronunciations:

• çayın ≈ chai-uhn
• yanında ≈ ya-nuhn-da
• iki ≈ ee-kee
• bisküvi ≈ bis-kü-vi
• yiyorum ≈ yi-yo-rum

Not perfect English spellings, but enough to help you get started.