Toplantı saat altıda başlıyor.

• toplantı = meeting
• saat = hour / clock / o’clock
• altıda = at six / at six o’clock
• başlıyor = is starting / starts

So the sentence literally works like:

Meeting at six is-starting

Natural English: The meeting starts at six.

Turkish does not have definite and indefinite articles like English the and a/an.

So toplantı can mean:

• meeting
• the meeting
• sometimes a meeting

In a sentence like this, the context usually makes it clear that the meeting is meant.

Altıda comes from:

• altı = six
• -da = the locative ending, which often means in / at / on

So:

• altıda = at six

This is very common in telling time:

• birde = at one
• ikide = at two
• üçte = at three
• yedide = at seven

The ending changes shape depending on vowel harmony and consonant rules, so you may also see -de, -da, -te, or -ta.

In this sentence, saat helps make it clear that we are talking about time.

• saat altıda = at six o’clock

In everyday Turkish, people often include saat when giving a time, especially for clarity.

You may also hear just:

• Toplantı altıda başlıyor.

That also means The meeting starts at six.

So saat is very natural here, but in some contexts it can be omitted.

Başlıyor comes from the verb başlamak, which means to start / to begin.

Here:

• başla- = verb stem
• -ıyor = present continuous tense ending

So başlıyor literally means:

• is starting

But in Turkish, this form is also commonly used for scheduled future events, so in English it is often translated as:

• starts
• is starting

In this sentence, The meeting starts at six is the most natural translation.

Turkish often uses the present continuous to talk about fixed plans or scheduled events, much like English can say:

• The meeting is starting at six
• or more naturally, The meeting starts at six

So even though the event may be in the future, başlıyor is perfectly normal for a scheduled event.

If you used a future form like başlayacak, that would mean:

• will start

That is also possible in some contexts, but başlıyor sounds very natural for timetables and arrangements.

Turkish word order is often Subject + Time + Verb.

Here:

• Toplantı = subject
• saat altıda = time expression
• başlıyor = verb

So the structure is very typical:

• The meeting
  • at six
    • starts

Also, Turkish usually puts the main verb at the end of the sentence.

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible, although some orders sound more neutral than others.

For example:

• Toplantı saat altıda başlıyor. = neutral, standard
• Saat altıda toplantı başlıyor. = puts more focus on the time
• Başlıyor toplantı saat altıda. = possible in special contexts, but not the normal neutral order

For learners, the safest pattern is:

• Subject + time expression + verb

It actually is altıda because the word for six is altı, with the Turkish vowel ı.

So:

• altı = six
• altıda = at six

Be careful not to confuse:

• i = dotted i
• ı = undotted ı

These are different vowels in Turkish and they affect spelling and pronunciation.

A rough pronunciation is:

• başlıyor ≈ bash-luh-yor

A few notes:

• ş sounds like sh
• ı is a vowel that does not exist in English; it is like a relaxed, back vowel
• ğ in modern Turkish usually does not sound like a strong consonant; it often lengthens the vowel or creates a smooth transition

So başlıyor is not pronounced with a hard g sound.

Yes, but it is a little different in tone and usage.

• Toplantı saat altıda başlıyor. = very natural for a scheduled event; common in everyday speech
• Toplantı saat altıda başlar. = The meeting starts at six in a more general, formal, or habitual sense

The -yor form is usually the most natural choice in everyday conversation for plans and scheduled events.

You can say:

• Toplantı saat altıda mı başlıyor?

This means:

• Is the meeting starting at six?
• Does the meeting start at six?

Here, mı is the question particle. It comes after the part being questioned. Since the time is the thing being checked, it comes after altıda.

You can use the same structure:

• Toplantı saat altı buçukta başlıyor.

Breakdown:

• altı buçuk = six thirty
• altı buçukta = at six thirty

So the pattern stays the same:

• Toplantı
  • time expression
    • başlıyor