You will tell a short story in order, with first, then, after that and at last.
The idea
Turkish puts the order word at the start of the clause or right before the verb, and it takes no ending: önce (first), sonra (then, later), ondan sonra (after that), sonunda (at last), en son (last of all). After a time span the same words turn into ago and in: üç gün önce, iki saat sonra.
| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| önce | Önce ödevimi yapıyorum. |
| sonra | Sonra film izleriz. |
| ondan sonra | Ondan sonra uyudum. |
| daha sonra | Daha sonra görüşürüz. |
| sonunda | Sonunda haberi aldım. |
| en son | En son ben çıktım. |
| bir saat önce | Bir saat önce geldi. |
Examples
- Önce elimi yıkıyorum.I wash my hands first.
- Sonra sana yazacağım.I will write to you later.
- Sonunda otobüs geldi.At last the bus came.Sonunda means at last: the bus was awaited and finally came. For a plain next step use sonra.
- Önce kahvaltı yaptık, sonra yürüyüşe çıktık.First we had breakfast, then we went for a walk.
- Ondan sonra eve gittik.After that we went home.
- Üç gün önce Ankara'ya gittim.I went to Ankara three days ago.After a stretch of time, önce means ago and sonra means in or after: üç gün önce, iki saat sonra.
- İki saat sonra döneceğim.I will be back in two hours.
- Sonunda kitabı bitirdim.I finally finished the book.
- En son kapıyı kapattım.Last of all, I closed the door.
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Watch out
Do not use sonunda for a plain next step. It means at last, after a wait or an effort: Sonunda otobüs geldi says the bus finally came. For an ordinary next action say sonra or ondan sonra.
Try it yourself
Add the word for then: I drank tea first, then I read a book.
Show answer or example answer
sonra / ondan sonra
sonra: the second step of a plain list is just the next one, so sonra (or ondan sonra) fits and no wait is implied.
Add the word for ago: the guest came three days ago.
Show answer or example answer
önce
önce: after a time span (üç gün) the word means ago, and it takes no ending.
Add the word for at last: I waited for hours, and at last the train came.
Show answer or example answer
sonunda
sonunda: hours of waiting end with the train arriving, which is the at-last meaning; sonra would only say what came next.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Add the word for then: I drank tea first, then I read a book.
sonra / ondan sonra
Add the word for ago: the guest came three days ago.
Add the word for at last: I waited for hours, and at last the train came.
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 four sentences about your morning in order, using önce, sonra, ondan sonra and en son. Then add one with sonunda about something you waited for.