Both verbs can appear where English uses “do” or “make”, but a word-for-word translation will not choose the right one. Learn the noun and verb as a unit, then use that unit in a sentence.
The idea
Use yapmak for making or preparing something and in familiar activity phrases: yemek yapmak (cook), ödev yapmak (do homework), spor yapmak (exercise). Etmek often helps a noun form a verb: yardım etmek (help), teşekkür etmek (thank), ziyaret etmek (visit), kabul etmek (accept). The noun–verb pairing decides the choice; “physical action versus abstract idea” is not a reliable rule. Hata yapmak (make a mistake) also uses yapmak. These are useful pairings, not an exhaustive division of the two verbs.
| yapmak | etmek |
|---|---|
| yemek yapmak | yardım etmek |
| ödev yapmak | teşekkür etmek |
| spor yapmak | ziyaret etmek |
| hata yapmak | kabul etmek |
Examples
- Bu akşam birlikte yemek yapıyoruz.We are cooking together this evening.
- Bugün komşularımıza yardım ediyoruz.We are helping our neighbours today.
- Dersten sonra öğretmenlerimize teşekkür ediyoruz.We thank our teachers after class.
- Ablam odasında ödev yapıyor.My older sister is doing homework in her room.
- Dedem her sabah spor yapıyor.My grandfather exercises every morning.
- Bu hesapta sık sık hata yapıyorum.I keep making mistakes in this calculation.
- Yeni bir raf yapmak istiyorum.I want to make a new shelf.
- Arkadaşlarımızı yarın ziyaret ediyoruz.We are visiting our friends tomorrow.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
Do not replace the verb in teşekkür etmek just because you say “make” or “do” in another expression. Teşekkür yapmak is not the normal way to thank someone. Remember sana teşekkür etmek as a whole phrase; the person being thanked is sana (to you).
Try it yourself
Choose yapmak or etmek: I want to do my homework.
Show answer or example answer
yapmak
yapmak: ödevimi names the homework to be completed, so the phrase is ödevimi yapmak. The possessive and object endings do not change the verb partner.
Choose yapmak or etmek: We want to help our neighbours.
Show answer or example answer
etmek
etmek: the neighbours are the people receiving help. Komşularımıza yardım etmek expresses helping them; keep yardım with its usual verb in this context.
Choose yapmak or etmek: I do not want to make a mistake in this question.
Show answer or example answer
yapmak
yapmak: the speaker wants to avoid an error in an answer. Hata yapmak is the everyday pairing here, even though an error is not a physical object.
Choose yapmak or etmek: I want to thank you.
Show answer or example answer
etmek
etmek: the speaker wants to express gratitude to the listener. Sana teşekkür etmek supplies that meaning; sana identifies who receives the thanks.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Choose yapmak or etmek: I want to do my homework.
Choose yapmak or etmek: We want to help our neighbours.
Choose yapmak or etmek: I do not want to make a mistake in this question.
Choose yapmak or etmek: I want to thank you.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Write four sentences about a day at school: doing homework, helping someone, making a mistake and thanking someone. Underline each noun–verb pair. Then practise the forms on the linked verb and suffix pages.