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Questions & Answers about Onlar neyi bekliyor?
Why do we use neyi here instead of just ne?
The word neyi is the specific object form of ne (what). In Turkish, the verb beklemek (to wait) takes a direct object. Because the speaker is asking about a specific thing being waited for, we add the specific object ending (the accusative case) to ne, which becomes neyi.
Where is the word for "for" in the Turkish sentence?
English uses "waiting for," but Turkish doesn't need an extra word for "for" here. The verb beklemek applies directly to the object. In Turkish logic, you don't wait for something; you just wait it.
Since Onlar means "they", why does the verb bekliyor not have the plural -lar ending?
When the plural subject onlar is already explicitly stated in the sentence, adding the -lar plural ending to the verb becomes optional. Saying Onlar neyi bekliyor? is very natural and common, though Onlar neyi bekliyorlar? is also perfectly correct.
How does using neyi change the meaning compared to asking with ne?
Using neyi shows you are asking about a specific, defined thing (like a particular train or a scheduled phone call). If you used just ne, it would sound more general, like asking "what kind of thing are they waiting for?"