Learn Turkish: Biz şimdi uyuyoruz.

The suffix -uz at the end of uyuyoruz is the personal suffix that indicates the subject is biz (we). Because the continuous suffix -yor always contains an o sound, the suffix for we that follows it will always take the exact form -uz to satisfy vowel harmony rules.

The verb root for to sleep is uyu-. Why do we just add -yor without an extra connecting vowel?

The general rule for the present continuous tense is to add a matching vowel (ı, i, u, or ü) plus -yor. However, when a verb root already ends in a vowel, like uyu-, the rule is to drop that final vowel first. If we drop the u from uyu- and then add the matching suffix -uyor, we get right back to uyuyor!

Do we have to use the pronoun biz in this sentence?

No, it is entirely optional. Turkish allows you to drop the subject pronoun because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action. Saying Şimdi uyuyoruz is completely natural and means the exact same thing.

Can I put şimdi at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes! Time words like şimdi (now) are flexible. You can easily say Şimdi biz uyuyoruz. Placing it right before the verb, like in our example, just puts a little more emphasis on the fact that the action is happening right now.