Judge the event from the speaker’s viewpoint: is it just ahead, or did it almost happen without actually happening? You will also distinguish that timeline from the purpose of an action.
The idea
An infinitive followed by üzere places an event on the verge of happening: sönmek üzere. Keep the words separate and put person marking on üzere: çıkmak üzereyiz. Kilitlemek üzereydim looks back at such a moment; it does not by itself tell you whether the door was eventually locked. In düşeyazdı, the fall nearly happened but did not. This one-word compound is especially useful to recognise in literary narration; ordinary conversation often uses neredeyse düşecekti instead. The auxiliary yaz- does not mean “write” here, and keeps its own vowel after the linking vowel: düşeyazdı.
Examples
- Biz sahneye çıkmak üzereyiz.We are about to go on stage.
- Son mum sönmek üzere.The last candle is about to go out.
- Sepet elimden düşeyazdı.The basket nearly fell out of my hand.
- Fırındaki ekmek yanmak üzere.The bread in the oven is about to burn.
- Kapıyı kilitlemek üzereydim, telefon çaldı.I was about to lock the door when the phone rang.
- Rafı silerken vazo düşeyazdı ama hemen tuttum.While I was wiping the shelf, the vase nearly fell, but I caught it immediately.
- Neredeyse merdivenden düşecektim.I almost fell down the stairs.
- Yeni projeyi görüşmek üzere toplandık.We gathered to discuss the new project.
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Watch out
Do not turn every -mek üzere phrase into “about to”. In Yeni projeyi görüşmek üzere toplandık, the gathering is already a fact and görüşmek üzere gives its purpose. Nor does a past near miss such as düşeyazdı announce something still about to happen.
Try it yourself
The bread has not burned yet; take it out now. Choose the expression for an imminent event.
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yanmak üzere
yanmak üzere: the bread can still be rescued now. Yanayazdı would look back on a narrowly avoided burning, which does not convey the warning to act immediately.
The basket did not fall to the ground because you caught it. Choose the matching verb.
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düşeyazdı
düşeyazdı: catching the basket prevented the fall. Düştü would assert that it fell and would contradict the stated outcome.
The phone rang just before you locked the door. Choose the form that looks back at that moment.
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üzereydim
üzereydim: çaldı places the scene in the past, and the speaker was then on the verge of locking the door. Üzereyim would locate that readiness now.
The meeting had a purpose: discussing the new project. Choose the phrase that fits.
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görüşmek üzere
görüşmek üzere: the phrase answers why we gathered. Görüşmek üzereyiz is a separate predicate meaning “we are about to discuss”, so it cannot fill this purpose slot.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
The bread has not burned yet; take it out now. Choose the expression for an imminent event.
The basket did not fall to the ground because you caught it. Choose the matching verb.
The phone rang just before you locked the door. Choose the form that looks back at that moment.
The meeting had a purpose: discussing the new project. Choose the phrase that fits.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Write one sentence about an imminent event and one about an accident that did not happen. Add a sentence with üzere expressing purpose; explain how the main verb makes that reading clear.