Sıra numarasını duyar duymaz vezneye gittim.

duyar duymaz means as soon as I heard or the moment I heard.

It uses a very common Turkish pattern:

• verb stem + aorist form
  • verb stem + -maz/-mez

Here the verb is duymak (to hear):

• duyar = he/she hears / aorist form
• duymaz = does not hear / negative aorist form

Put together, duyar duymaz means something like:

• the moment (someone) hears
• as soon as (someone) heard

In this sentence, the subject is understood from the main verb gittim (I went), so the full sense is:

• As soon as I heard my queue number, I went to the cashier.

This pattern is fixed and very common in Turkish:

• gelir gelmez = as soon as he/she comes / as soon as I came, depending on context
• biter bitmez = as soon as it ends
• eve varır varmaz = as soon as he/she arrives home

Because sıra numarasını is the definite direct object of duymak (to hear).

Breakdown:

• sıra = queue, turn
• numara = number
• sıra numarası = queue number / ticket number
• sıra numarasını = the queue number, as a definite object

The ending -ı / -i / -u / -ü can mark:

1. the 3rd person possessive (his/her/its), and/or
2. the accusative case for a definite object

Here both are involved:

• sıra numarası = its queue number / queue number
• sıra numarasını duymak = to hear the queue number

So the -nı part reflects:

• possessive structure already present in numarası
• plus accusative marking because it is the object of duymak

This is because many Turkish noun compounds use the 3rd person possessive ending even when there is no literal owner in English.

So:

• sıra numarası literally looks like its queue-number
• but in natural English it just means queue number, ticket number, or number in the queueing system

This is a standard Turkish noun-compound pattern:

• otobüs durağı = bus stop
• kapı kolu = door handle
• telefon numarası = phone number
• kimlik kartı = ID card

So sıra numarası is not necessarily saying that someone owns the number. It is simply the normal way Turkish builds this kind of compound noun.

vezneye is in the dative case, marked here by -e/-a.

• vezne = cashier’s desk, pay desk, cashier window
• vezneye = to the cashier / to the pay desk

The verb gitmek (to go) often takes the dative when showing destination:

• okula gitmek = to go to school
• eve gitmek = to go home
• bankaya gitmek = to go to the bank
• vezneye gitmek = to go to the cashier/pay desk

So vezneye gittim means I went to the cashier.

gittim is the past tense, 1st person singular form of gitmek (to go):

• git- = verb stem
• -ti = past tense
• -m = I

So:

• gittim = I went

The doubled tt happens because of normal sound changes in Turkish spelling and pronunciation. You do not say gitdim; the correct form is gittim.

Some related forms:

• gittin = you went
• gitti = he/she/it went
• gittik = we went

There is no separate word for I, because Turkish usually leaves subject pronouns out when the verb already shows the person.

Here:

• gittim = I went

The -m ending already tells you the subject is I.

So Turkish often says:

• Gittim. = I went.
• Duydum. = I heard.
• Bekledim. = I waited.

You can add ben (I) for emphasis, but it is not necessary:

• Ben vezneye gittim. = I went to the cashier. / It was me who went...

Turkish word order is often Subject–Object–Verb, and the main verb usually comes at the end.

This sentence is:

• Sıra numarasını = my/the queue number
• duyar duymaz = as soon as I heard
• vezneye = to the cashier
• gittim = I went

So the literal order is close to:

• Queue number-the hearing-as-soon-as cashier-to went-I

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

Turkish also tends to place time-related or subordinate expressions before the main verb, so duyar duymaz naturally appears before gittim.

Usually, yes, the subject is understood from context, and very often it is the same as the subject of the main clause.

In this sentence:

• gittim = I went
• so we understand duyar duymaz as as soon as I heard

Turkish does not explicitly repeat I inside the duyar duymaz phrase.

However, in other contexts the subject can sometimes be understood differently if the sentence makes that clear. In ordinary learner usage, it is safest to read duyar duymaz as connected to the subject of the main clause unless something else clearly shows otherwise.

Both are natural, but they are slightly different in feel.

• duyar duymaz = the moment I heard / immediately after hearing
• duyunca = when I heard / upon hearing

So duyar duymaz is a bit more immediate and emphatic. It strongly suggests that the second action happened right away.

Compare:

• Sıra numarasını duyunca vezneye gittim.
  = When I heard my queue number, I went to the cashier.

• Sıra numarasını duyar duymaz vezneye gittim.
  = As soon as I heard my queue number, I went to the cashier.

The second one feels more like there was no delay.

Yes, but in real-life English the most natural translation may vary depending on context.

Possible translations include:

• queue number
• ticket number
• number
• my number

For example, in a bank, hospital, or government office, you often take a numbered ticket and wait for your number to be called. In that context, sıra numarası is that number.

So although the literal meaning is queue number, the best English translation may be something like:

• As soon as I heard my number, I went to the cashier.

vezne usually refers to the cash desk, payment counter, or cashier’s window, especially in places like:

• banks
• hospitals
• public offices
• universities
• ticket offices

So vezneye gittim can mean:

• I went to the cashier
• I went to the payment desk
• I went to the counter

The best English choice depends on the situation. In a bank or office, counter or cashier’s desk may sound more natural than just cashier.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

Suh-ruh noo-mah-rah-SUH-nuh doo-YAR doo-YMAZ vez-NEH-yeh git-TIM

A few points:

• ı is not the English i sound. It is a dull vowel, something like the vowel in roses for some speakers, but without rounding.
• duyar duymaz has stress that helps the fixed expression sound natural.
• gittim has a clear double t sound: git-tim.

If you say it slowly by chunks, it helps:

• Sıra numarasını
• duyar duymaz
• vezneye gittim

Yes, absolutely. That is a very natural translation.

Because the meaning is already known from context, English can choose different wording:

• As soon as I heard my number, I went to the cashier.
• As soon as I heard the number, I went to the counter.
• The moment I heard my ticket number, I went to the pay desk.

All of these can match the Turkish sentence, depending on the situation. Turkish often leaves some things less explicit than English, and context fills in the rest.