Breakdown of Toplantı öğleden önce bitiyor.
toplantı
meeting
bitmek
to finish / to end
önce
before / first / firstly
öğle
noon
Questions & Answers about Toplantı öğleden önce bitiyor.
How would I ask 'When does the meeting end?' to get this sentence as an answer?
You would ask, "Toplantı ne zaman bitiyor?" The question phrase "ne zaman" (when) goes in the exact same position as the time expression "öğleden önce" (before noon) in the statement.
Why does "öğle" (noon) have the suffix "-den" attached to it here?
In Turkish, to say "before" a certain time or event, you use the word "önce" (before), but you must also attach the ablative or "from" ending (-dan or -den) to the noun preceding it. So "öğleden önce" is the grammatically required way to say "before noon".
The verb ending "-iyor" usually means something is happening right now. Why is it translated as "ends" instead of "is ending"?
While "-iyor" is the present continuous tense (is doing), Turkish frequently uses it for scheduled events, routines, or near-future plans, much like the simple present tense in English. Depending on the context, "bitiyor" can mean it "is ending" right now, or that it "ends" according to a schedule.
What is the dictionary form of the verb "bitiyor"?
The base verb is "bitmek" (to end / to finish). To conjugate it for this tense, you drop the "-mek" and add "-iyor" to the root "bit-".