Markete gitmişken biraz mum ve kurdele de al.

Because -e/-a is the Turkish dative ending, which often marks direction: to or toward something.

• market = the market / store
• markete gitmek = to go to the store

So Markete gitmişken... starts with While you’re at the store / Since you’re going to the store...

Also, Turkish market usually means a store, grocery store, or supermarket, not necessarily an open-air market.

In this sentence, gitmişken means something like:

• since you’re going
• while you’re there
• while you’re at it
• now that you’re going

It comes from:

• gitmek = to go
• gitmiş = gone / apparently went / has gone
• -ken = while / when

But as a whole, -mişken often works as an idiomatic pattern meaning since that action is already happening or being treated as a given, do this too.

So Markete gitmişken is not best understood word by word as while having gone to the market. In natural English, it is more like since you’re going to the store anyway or while you’re at the store.

That is a very common question. Here, -miş is not functioning in a simple, literal past tense way.

In the pattern -mişken, Turkish often uses the idea of something already being the case or something assumed/planned, and from that it means since that’s happening, do this too.

So in everyday use, gitmişken can sound natural even if the person has not literally gone yet. It can mean:

• since you’re going anyway
• if you’re heading there
• while you’re there

This is one of those places where the whole form is more important than translating each piece mechanically.

They are similar, but not the same.

• giderken = while going, on the way
• gitmişken = since you’re going / while you’re there / while you’re at it

So:

• Markete giderken suggests the person is in the process of going or on the way
• Markete gitmişken suggests taking advantage of the trip or since that visit is happening anyway

In other words, gitmişken has a stronger while you’re at it feeling.

With nouns, biraz usually means some or a little.

So here:

• biraz mum = some candles / some candle
• biraz kurdele = some ribbon

The exact English translation depends on context, because English handles countable and uncountable nouns differently. In Turkish, biraz often just gives an unspecified small amount or quantity.

It can also make the request sound a bit less abrupt than simply listing the nouns with no quantity word.

Because after quantity words like biraz, Turkish often leaves nouns in the singular form.

That is normal Turkish grammar.

For example:

• biraz su = some water
• biraz ekmek = some bread
• biraz kitap can mean some books, depending on context
• biraz mum can be understood as some candles

So even though English may use a plural translation, Turkish often does not add -lar/-ler after words like biraz.

Here de means also, too, or as well.

So the idea is:

• Buy some candles and ribbon too
• Also get some candles and ribbon

It adds this object phrase as an extra thing to do or buy.

This de is not the same as the locative ending meaning in/on/at.

Because this de is a separate particle meaning also/too.

Turkish has two similar-looking forms:

• de/da as a separate word = also / too
• -de/-da as an attached suffix = in / at / on

So:

• evde = at home → attached, because it is a suffix
• ben de = me too → separate, because it is the additive particle

In your sentence, kurdele de means ribbon too, so it must be written separately.

Because de usually follows the word or phrase it is adding emphasis to.

Here it comes after the last item of the object phrase:

• biraz mum ve kurdele de al

This is naturally understood as applying to the whole phrase mum ve kurdele:

• buy candles and ribbon too

In coordinated phrases, Turkish often places de after the final item, even though the meaning can cover the whole list.

If you moved it, the emphasis could change. For example, putting de right after mum would more strongly highlight mum specifically.

Al is the second-person singular imperative of almak.

• almak = to take / to buy
• al = take / buy

So the subject is understood as you:

• (Sen) al = You buy / buy

Turkish usually leaves the subject pronoun out unless it needs emphasis.

Yes. Al is the informal singular imperative, so this is the kind of thing you would say to a friend, family member, or someone you speak casually to.

More polite or formal options include:

• Markete gitmişken biraz mum ve kurdele de alın.
  plural/polite imperative

• Markete gitmişken biraz mum ve kurdele de alır mısın?
  softer, more like Could you also get some candles and ribbon?

So the original sentence is natural and common, but it has a casual do this too tone.

Because Turkish normally prefers verb-final word order.

A very common basic pattern is:

• Subject + object + verb

So here the things to be bought come first, and the command verb comes last:

• biraz mum ve kurdele de al

That is completely normal Turkish structure. In English, the verb often comes earlier, but Turkish usually saves it for the end.