Learn Turkish: Salatalık yıkıyorum, salata yapıyorum. - I am washing cucumbers and making a salad.

They are indefinite direct objects. Because you are washing cucumbers in general, and making a salad (rather than the salad), you don't use the specific direct object (accusative) case. They stay in their plain dictionary form and sit right next to the verb.

The English translation says "cucumbers". Why doesn't salatalık have the plural suffix -lar?

In Turkish, general or indefinite objects are usually kept singular. When you say salatalık yıkıyorum, it is understood as washing cucumbers as a general activity, so the plural suffix isn't needed.

Is there a connection between the words salata and salatalık?

Yes! Salata means "salad". The suffix -lık creates a noun meaning "something used for" or "suitable for". So salatalık literally means "salad material," which became the standard Turkish word for "cucumber."

The verb for wash is yıkamak. Why does it change to yıkıyorum instead of "yıkayorum"?