Misafirler gitti mi ben mutfağı toparlıyorum.

No. In this sentence, mi is not really making the whole sentence into a normal yes/no question.

In Turkish, verb + mi can also mean something like:

• when
• once
• as soon as
• whenever

So:

• Misafirler gitti mi... = When/once the guests leave / have left...

This is a very common structure in Turkish.

Both can express a similar idea, but they are not exactly the same in feel.

• Misafirler gidince ben mutfağı toparlıyorum.
• Misafirler gitti mi ben mutfağı toparlıyorum.

Both can mean When the guests leave, I tidy up the kitchen.

But gitti mi often has a stronger sense of:

• as soon as that happens
• once that is out of the way
• sometimes every time that happens

It can sound a bit more vivid or conversational than gidince.

This is one of those places where Turkish and English do not match literally.

Gitti is the past tense form of gitmek (to go / leave), but in the pattern verb + mi, it does not just mean simple past. Together, gitti mi forms a time clause:

• once they leave
• when they have left
• as soon as they leave

So you should learn gitti mi here as a chunk, not as a fully separate past statement plus a question particle.

Because in Turkish, when the subject is a clear plural noun like misafirler (the guests), the verb is often left in the third person singular form.

So this is completely normal:

• Misafirler gitti. = The guests left.

You can sometimes hear or see plural agreement like gittiler, but with an explicitly stated plural subject, Turkish often prefers the singular verb.

Yes, the verb toparlıyorum already tells you the subject is I.

So Turkish could say:

• Misafirler gitti mi mutfağı toparlıyorum.

That would still be fine.

Adding ben gives extra emphasis or contrast, something like:

• As soon as the guests leave, I tidy up the kitchen.

So ben is not required for grammar; it is there for emphasis, clarity, or natural rhythm.

Because mutfağı is the definite accusative form of mutfak (kitchen).

The verb toparlamak here is acting on a specific thing:

• the kitchen

So Turkish marks that direct object:

• mutfak → base form
• mutfağı → the kitchen as the object of the verb

Also note the spelling change:

• mutfak
  • -ı
• final k becomes ğ
• so: mutfağı

This is a normal sound/spelling change in Turkish.

Toparlamak has meanings like:

• to tidy up
• to put in order
• to straighten up
• sometimes to gather together

In this sentence, mutfağı toparlıyorum means something like:

• I tidy up the kitchen
• I straighten up the kitchen
• I clean up the kitchen a bit

It often suggests putting things back in order after use, not necessarily doing a deep clean.

Not necessarily. Turkish -yor does not only mean something happening at this exact moment.

It can also express:

• habitual actions
• repeated actions
• general present situations
• near-future actions, depending on context

So here toparlıyorum can mean:

• I tidy up the kitchen
• I’m the one who tidies up the kitchen
• I start tidying up the kitchen

In natural English, the best translation may depend on context.

It can be understood either way depending on context.

It may mean:

1. Habitual / repeated

   • Whenever the guests leave, I tidy up the kitchen.

2. A specific situation

   • Once the guests leave, I’ll tidy up the kitchen.
   • or When the guests have gone, I tidy up the kitchen.

Because Turkish often leaves this kind of distinction to context, the same sentence can cover both.

Yes, the word order can change, although the original is very natural.

Original:

• Misafirler gitti mi ben mutfağı toparlıyorum.

Possible variations:

• Misafirler gitti mi mutfağı toparlıyorum.
• Ben misafirler gitti mi mutfağı toparlıyorum.
• Mutfağı misafirler gitti mi toparlıyorum.

These versions may change emphasis, but the basic meaning stays similar.

The original order is natural because it presents:

1. the time condition: Misafirler gitti mi
2. the main action: ben mutfağı toparlıyorum

Yes, usually there is a natural pause there.

That is because Misafirler gitti mi functions like a time clause:

• Once the guests leave, ...
• When the guests have left, ...

So in speech, you would often hear a break after it, and in writing a comma is also possible:

• Misafirler gitti mi, ben mutfağı toparlıyorum.

The comma is helpful, though not always required in informal writing.

Yes. Toparlamak is broader than just clean.

Depending on context, mutfağı toparlamak may include:

• putting dishes together
• clearing surfaces
• organizing things
• making the kitchen look neat again

So it often means tidy up / straighten up / sort out, not just wash or clean in a narrow sense.