Learn Turkish: Balon gittikçe yükseliyor! - The balloon is gradually rising!

The word gittikçe is built from the verb gitmek (to go) and the suffix -dikçe (as / the more). Literally, it means "as it goes," which is used in Turkish to express "gradually" or "more and more" as time passes.

Could I use "giderek" instead of "gittikçe" here?

Yes! You can say Balon giderek yükseliyor! and it means exactly the same thing. Both words are adverbs used to show that a change is happening step by step.

Is the verb "yükseliyor" related to the word "yüksek" (high)?

Exactly! It comes from the adjective yüksek (high). When turning it into a verb, the final -k drops and the suffix -el is added to form yükselmek (to rise or go up). Then we add the present continuous suffix -iyor.

Why is "gittikçe" placed right before "yükseliyor"?

Gittikçe acts as an adverb describing how the balloon is rising. In Turkish word order, adverbs are typically placed immediately before the verb or adjective they modify.