Learn Turkish: Avcı sessizce durup bekliyor, yoksa vahşi hayvanlar kaçar. - The hunter stops and waits quietly, otherwise the wild animals will run away.

In this context, yoksa means 'otherwise' or 'or else'. It links the required action (Avcı sessizce durup bekliyor) directly to the consequence that will happen if that action is not taken (vahşi hayvanlar kaçar).

Why is it durup instead of duruyor ve?

The suffix -up connects two related actions done by the same subject, saving you from repeating the tense endings. durup bekliyor means 'he stops and waits'. Using this suffix is much more natural in Turkish than saying duruyor ve bekliyor.

What does the -ce do in the word sessizce?

It turns the adjective sessiz (quiet) into the adverb sessizce (quietly). Just like adding '-ly' in English, it describes exactly how the hunter stops and waits.

Why does the first part use the continuous tense (bekliyor) while the second part uses the aorist tense (kaçar)?

bekliyor (is waiting) describes a specific action the hunter is actively doing right now. The aorist ending -ar in kaçar is frequently used for predictions, general facts, or logical consequences. Here, it naturally expresses 'they will run away' as the expected consequence.