Öğretmen öğrencilere yeni kuralları açıklıyor.

• Öğretmen = the teacher / teacher → the subject
• öğrencilere = to the students → the indirect object
• yeni = new → describes kuralları
• kuralları = the new rules → the direct object
• açıklıyor = is explaining / explains → the verb

So the structure is basically:

Teacher + to the students + the new rules + is explaining

Turkish often puts the verb at the end.

Turkish is usually an SOV language: Subject – Object – Verb.

So instead of English-style:

The teacher is explaining the new rules to the students

Turkish prefers:

The teacher to the students the new rules is explaining

That is completely normal in Turkish.
The most neutral word order here is:

Öğretmen öğrencilere yeni kuralları açıklıyor.

Turkish does not have a separate word exactly like English the.

Whether öğretmen means teacher or the teacher depends on context. In a full sentence like this, it is very natural to understand it as the teacher.

If Turkish wants to say a teacher, it can use bir:

• Bir öğretmen öğrencilere yeni kuralları açıklıyor.
  = A teacher is explaining the new rules to the students.

Without bir, öğretmen is often understood as definite or generic, depending on context.

Because it has the dative case, which often means to or toward.

• öğrenci = student
• öğrenciler = students
• öğrencilere = to the students

Breakdown:

• öğrenci = student
• -ler = plural
• -e = dative case ending

So öğrencilere literally means students-to.

This is used because açıklamak often takes:

• the thing being explained as a direct object
• the person receiving the explanation in the dative

So:

• kuralları açıklamak = to explain the rules
• öğrencilere açıklamak = to explain to the students

Because kuralları is the definite direct object.

Breakdown:

• kural = rule
• kurallar = rules
• kuralları = the rules as a specific direct object

The ending here is the accusative after a plural noun.

Turkish usually marks a direct object with the accusative when it is specific/definite.

Compare:

• Öğretmen kurallar açıklıyor.
  = The teacher is explaining rules. / some rules.

• Öğretmen kuralları açıklıyor.
  = The teacher is explaining the rules / specific rules.

So kuralları tells you these are particular rules, not just rules in general.

Because the accusative ending is added directly to the plural form:

• kural → rule
• kurallar → rules
• kuralları → the rules

The accusative ending here is -ı, but because the noun ends in a vowel-like sound pattern after the plural suffix, Turkish does not add extra material beyond what is needed.

So the form is simply:

kural + lar + ı = kuralları

This is the normal way plural nouns take the accusative.

Because açıklıyor is a finite verb form meaning is explaining or sometimes explains, depending on context.

Breakdown:

• açıklamak = to explain
• verb stem: açıkla-
• -ıyor = present continuous / ongoing action
• açıklıyor = he/she/it is explaining

So:

• açıklamak = infinitive, to explain
• açıklıyor = conjugated verb, is explaining

In this sentence, it describes an action happening now or currently.

It can mean both, depending on context.

The Turkish present continuous form often covers:

• an action happening right now
• an action happening around this time
• sometimes a habitual/current situation in everyday speech

So Öğretmen öğrencilere yeni kuralları açıklıyor could mean:

• The teacher is explaining the new rules to the students
• in some contexts, The teacher explains the new rules to the students

If Turkish wants a more habitual or general meaning, other forms are also possible, but -yor is extremely common in normal speech.

Because Turkish usually does not need subject pronouns when the subject is already clear.

Here, the subject is explicitly given as öğretmen, so there is no need to add o.

Turkish commonly leaves out pronouns unless they are needed for emphasis or contrast.

So:

• Öğretmen öğrencilere yeni kuralları açıklıyor.
  = The teacher is explaining the new rules to the students.

Adding o would usually sound unnecessary unless you want emphasis:

• O öğretmen öğrencilere yeni kuralları açıklıyor.
  = That teacher / he-she, the teacher, is explaining...

Because Turkish adjectives do not agree with nouns in number, gender, or case.

So:

• yeni kural = new rule
• yeni kurallar = new rules
• yeni kuralları = the new rules

The adjective yeni stays the same every time.

This is different from languages where adjectives change form. In Turkish, adjectives are usually very simple in this way.

Because the sentence is talking about:

• one teacher
• multiple students
• multiple rules

Turkish marks plural with suffixes like -ler / -lar:

• öğretmen = teacher
• öğrenciler = students
• kurallar = rules

Then case endings are added after that if needed:

• öğrencilere = to the students
• kuralları = the rules

So the sentence naturally mixes singular and plural depending on meaning.

These are different suffixes doing different jobs.

In öğrencilere:

• -ler = plural
• -e = dative, meaning to

So it means to the students.

In kuralları:

• -lar = plural
• -ı = accusative, marking a definite direct object

So it means the rules.

The vowels change because of vowel harmony, which is a basic Turkish pattern. Turkish suffixes often come in different vowel versions so they match the vowels in the word.

That is why you see:

• -ler / -lar
• -e / -a
• -i / -ı / -ü / -u

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible, because case endings help show what each word does.

For example, these can still be understood:

• Öğretmen yeni kuralları öğrencilere açıklıyor.
• Yeni kuralları öğretmen öğrencilere açıklıyor.
• Öğrencilere öğretmen yeni kuralları açıklıyor.

But the most neutral and natural order is usually close to:

Öğretmen öğrencilere yeni kuralları açıklıyor.

Changing the order often changes focus or emphasis, not the basic meaning.

Yes, kuralları can be ambiguous in isolation.

It can mean:

• the rules
  or sometimes
• his/her/its rules
• their rules

That is because the form can match different grammatical patterns.

But in this sentence, the natural reading is the new rules, because:

• yeni kuralları açıklıyor fits very naturally as is explaining the new rules
• there is no strong context suggesting possession

So learners should know the form can be ambiguous by itself, but context usually makes the meaning clear.