Learn Turkish: Mektubu göndermek için postaneye gidiyorum. - I am going to the post office to send the letter.

In English, we often just say 'to send' to mean 'in order to send'. In Turkish, you use the dictionary form of the verb (göndermek) and add the word için (for). Together, göndermek için expresses the purpose of your action.

Why is the word for letter spelled mektubu instead of mektup?

The dictionary word is mektup. Because it is a specific object you are sending ('the letter'), it needs the accusative case ending -u. When this vowel is added, the hard p at the end of the word softens to a b.

Why does mektubu come before göndermek instead of after it?

Turkish places objects directly before the verbs that affect them. You group the object and verb together as mektubu göndermek (to send the letter), and then add için to show the purpose of that entire phrase.

Why is there a y in postaneye?

You are going 'to' the post office, which requires the dative (direction) case ending -e. Because postane already ends in a vowel, Turkish uses the buffer letter y to keep the two vowels from crashing into each other, making it postaneye.