Learn Turkish: Öğrenci yarışmada birinci dereceyi alıyor. - The student is getting the first rank in the competition.

You add the ordinal suffix -(i)nci to the number. Since bir ends in a consonant and its vowel is 'i', vowel harmony gives us -inci. If the number ended in a vowel, like iki (two), the first vowel of the suffix drops to prevent two vowels from touching, making it ikinci.

Why does derece (rank) have the suffix -yi at the end?

It takes the accusative case because it is the specific direct object of the verb alıyor (is getting). The student is getting 'the' first rank. Since derece ends in a vowel, we add the buffer letter -y- before the accusative suffix -i, making it dereceyi.

Can the word derece mean things other than 'rank'?

Yes! Derece literally means 'degree'. It is commonly used for temperature (like degrees Celsius) or angles, as well as a level, grade, or rank in a competition like we see in this sentence.

What does the -da do in yarışmada?

Yarışma means 'competition'. The -da is the locative suffix meaning 'in', 'at', or 'on'. Because the last vowel of yarışma is a back vowel ('a'), we use -da instead of -de to say 'in the competition'.