Maşayı kullanmadan sıcak tepsiyi tutma.

It comes from the verb kullanmak meaning to use.

The form breaks down like this:

• kullan- = verb stem
• -ma- = negation
• -dan / -den = part of the without doing structure

So kullanmadan means without using.

This -madan / -meden form is very common in Turkish for saying without doing something:

• yemeden = without eating
• bakmadan = without looking
• sormadan = without asking

Because both are direct objects of verbs:

• maşayı is the object of kullanmak → using the tongs
• tepsiyi is the object of tutmak → holding the tray

In Turkish, a specific/definite direct object usually takes the accusative ending.

So:

• maşa → maşayı
• tepsi → tepsiyi

An English speaker may think there is only one object in the sentence, but Turkish sees this as having two different verb ideas:

1. using the tongs
2. holding the tray

Each verb has its own object.

Here, tutma is a negative imperative: a command meaning don’t hold.

Compare:

• tut = hold
• tutma = don’t hold

So the sentence ends with the actual instruction or warning.

If you wanted a plural/formal version, you would say:

• tutmayın = don’t hold (you plural / polite)

They are related, because both involve negation, but they are doing different jobs in the sentence.

• kullanma-dan = without using
• tut-ma = don’t hold

So:

• in kullanmadan, the negative form becomes part of an adverb-like structure
• in tutma, it forms a negative command

This is a very common thing in Turkish: the same negative element appears inside different grammatical patterns.

That y is a buffer consonant.

When a noun ends in a vowel and you add a vowel-starting suffix, Turkish often inserts y to make pronunciation smoother.

So:

• maşa + ı → maşayı
• tepsi + i → tepsiyi

Without that y, the vowels would run into each other awkwardly.

You will see this a lot in Turkish:

• arabayı
• kapıyı
• suyu

Because Turkish adjectives do not agree with the noun the way they do in some other languages.

The adjective sıcak stays the same:

• sıcak tepsi = hot tray
• sıcak tepsiyi = the hot tray
• sıcak tepsiler = hot trays

The case ending goes on the noun, not the adjective.

So only tepsi changes to tepsiyi.
sıcak remains sıcak.

Because Turkish treats maşa as a normal singular noun meaning the tool itself.

English has some tool words that look plural even when they refer to one object, such as:

• tongs
• scissors
• pliers

Turkish does not copy that pattern here. One tool is simply maşa.

So even if English says the tongs, Turkish can still say maşa or maşayı.

Because these mean different things.

• maşayı kullanmadan = without using the tongs
• maşayla = with the tongs

That is a big difference.

For example:

• Maşayla sıcak tepsiyi tut. = Hold the hot tray with the tongs.
• Maşayı kullanmadan sıcak tepsiyi tutma. = Don’t hold the hot tray without using the tongs.

So the sentence is specifically warning against doing it without the tool.

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible, although not completely free.

The most important thing is that the main verb usually comes at the end, so tutma naturally stays last.

The sentence could be rearranged for emphasis, but the original order is very natural because it sets up the condition first:

• Maşayı kullanmadan = without using the tongs
• sıcak tepsiyi tutma = don’t hold the hot tray

This feels like a practical warning: first mention the missing safety tool, then give the command.

A more generic alternative might be:

• Maşa kullanmadan sıcak tepsiyi tutma.

That sounds slightly less specific.

The difference is mainly specific versus generic.

• maşayı kullanmadan suggests a specific pair of tongs, something known in the situation
• maşa kullanmadan is more general, more like without using tongs

So if a speaker has a particular tool in mind, maşayı makes sense.
If the speaker is giving a general instruction, maşa kullanmadan may sound a bit more general or neutral.

Both are understandable, but the accusative form often sounds like the tongs rather than just tongs in general.

That version would mean something a little different.

• Sıcak tepsiyi tutma, maşayı kullan = Don’t hold the hot tray; use the tongs.
• Maşayı kullanmadan sıcak tepsiyi tutma = Don’t hold the hot tray without using the tongs.

The original sentence combines the two ideas into one structure. It is more compact and sounds like a single warning rule.

Turkish often does this by using forms like -madan / -meden instead of splitting everything into separate sentences.