You will build verbs such as geliyorum and okuyorum, choose the vowel before -yor, and say what you and others are doing at this moment.
The idea
To say what is happening now, add a narrow vowel and -yor to the verb stem: geliyorum, okuyorum. The vowel is ı, i, u or ü and follows the last vowel of the stem: alıyor, geliyor, buluyor, görüyor. If the stem already ends in a vowel, -yor follows directly (oku → okuyor). Then comes the person ending: geliyorum, geliyorsun, geliyor, geliyoruz, geliyorsunuz, geliyorlar. The stem is the dictionary form without -mek/-mak.
| Last vowel of the stem | Vowel before -yor | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a, ı | -ıyor | alıyorum |
| e, i | -iyor | geliyorum |
| o, u | -uyor | buluyorum |
| ö, ü | -üyor | görüyorum |
Examples
- Ben şimdi kitap okuyorum.I am reading a book now.oku already ends in a vowel, so -yor is added directly: okuyorum. The pronoun ben may be dropped.
- Annem mutfakta yemek yapıyor.My mother is cooking in the kitchen.
- Siz ne yapıyorsunuz?What are you doing?siz means “you” for several people or for one person addressed politely; the ending -sunuz goes with it.
- Yağmur yağıyor.It is raining.Weather needs no subject: the verb alone says it. yağ- takes ı after a: yağıyor.
- Ders saat dokuzda başlıyor.The class starts at nine.başla- loses its final a before -ıyor: başl-ıyor, never başlayor. A fixed timetable is also said with -yor.
- Çocuklar şimdi uyuyor.The children are sleeping now.
- Yarın Ankara'ya gidiyoruz.We are going to Ankara tomorrow.With a time word such as yarın (tomorrow), -yor can also speak about a plan. git- becomes gid- before a vowel: gidiyoruz.
- geliyorumI am cominggeliyor-iyor / -ıyor / -uyor / -üyor: happening nowum-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
- gidiyorsunuzyou are goinggidiyor-iyor / -ıyor / -uyor / -üyor: happening nowsunuz-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
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Watch out
A stem that ends in a or e loses that vowel before -iyor: başlamak gives başlıyor, not başlayor, and beklemek gives bekliyor. The new vowel follows the vowel before it: oynamak → oynuyor, söylemek → söylüyor. demek and yemek become diyor and yiyor.
Try it yourself
Say: I am working. Verb: çalışmak (to work).
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çalışıyorum
çalışıyorum: the stem çalış ends in a consonant, its last vowel ı gives ıyor, and -um marks “I”.
Say: he or she is starting. Verb: başlamak (to start).
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başlıyor
başlıyor: the stem başla drops its final a; the last vowel left is a, so the vowel is ı: başl-ıyor. The third person has no ending.
Say: we are laughing. Verb: gülmek (to laugh).
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gülüyoruz
gülüyoruz: the last vowel ü is front and rounded, so the vowel is ü: gül-üyor; -uz marks “we”.
Say: I am eating. Verb: yemek (to eat).
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yiyorum
yiyorum: ye- turns into yi- before -yor; -um marks “I”.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Say: I am working. Verb: çalışmak (to work).
Say: he or she is starting. Verb: başlamak (to start).
Say: we are laughing. Verb: gülmek (to laugh).
Say: I am eating. Verb: yemek (to eat).
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the parts in order to build this word: I am coming
Tap the parts in order to build this word: you are going
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Write four sentences about what you and the people around you are doing at this moment. Underline each verb and check the vowel before -yor.