You will distinguish spending time somewhere, being left over and stopping or being stationary. These everyday scenes help you choose between kalmak and durmak without relying on one English translation.
The idea
Use kalmak for accommodation or remaining: otelde kalmak means to stay at a hotel; biraz çorba kaldı says some soup was left. Use durmak when movement stops, or to describe a stationary position: Otobüs köşede durdu. It can also locate an object: Anahtarlar çekmecede duruyor. For an upright posture, ayakta durmak explicitly means to stand. These are common uses, not separate categories with no overlap.
| kalmak | durmak |
|---|---|
| Bu gece otelde kalıyoruz. | Otobüs köşede durdu. |
| Anahtarlar evde kaldı. | Anahtarlar çekmecede duruyor. |
Examples
- Bu gece otelde kalıyoruz.We are staying at a hotel tonight.
- Otobüs köşede durdu.The bus stopped at the corner.
- Anahtarlar çekmecede duruyor.The keys are in the drawer.
- Misafirler iki gece bizde kaldı.The guests stayed with us for two nights.
- Yemekten sonra biraz çorba kaldı.There was some soup left after the meal.
- Çocuk kapıda ayakta duruyor.The child is standing at the door.
- Anahtarlar evde kaldı.The keys were left at home.
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Watch out
Do not make this a long-stay versus short-stop rule: both verbs can describe a duration. Nor does durmak always mean standing upright. Compare Anahtarlar çekmecede duruyor (their location) with Anahtarlar evde kaldı (they were left behind). The keys are not standing, and the second sentence says more than where they are.
Try it yourself
Choose the form for spending last night at a small hotel: kaldık or durduk.
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kaldık
kaldık: an overnight stay is accommodation. Durduk would describe stopping there and would not by itself say that we spent the night.
Choose the form for the bus coming to a stop at a red light: kaldı or durdu.
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durdu
durdu: the red light brought a moving bus to a stop. Kaldı would instead suggest that the bus remained there or was left there.
Everyone had soup; some was left in the pot. Choose kaldı or durdu.
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kaldı
kaldı: some soup remained after everyone had eaten. There is a leftover quantity, not movement coming to a stop.
Describe the child’s current posture, standing upright at the door: kalıyor or duruyor.
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duruyor
duruyor: the prompt asks for the child’s current upright posture. Ayakta kalıyor would shift the emphasis to remaining on one’s feet.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Choose the form for spending last night at a small hotel: kaldık or durduk.
Choose the form for the bus coming to a stop at a red light: kaldı or durdu.
Everyone had soup; some was left in the pot. Choose kaldı or durdu.
Describe the child’s current posture, standing upright at the door: kalıyor or duruyor.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write a pair about keys: where they are now and where they were left behind. Then add one hotel stay and one vehicle stopping. Explain each choice, and use the linked verb pages to practise the forms.