This suffix answers “how?”: an action supplies the method or accompanies another action. Here you will build the forms; in these examples the same person or group does both actions.
The idea
Remove -mak/-mek. After the last vowel a ı o u, choose -arak; after e i ö ü, choose -erek. A vowel-ending stem needs y: oku-y-arak, bekle-y-erek. The complete endings are therefore -arak, -erek, -yarak, -yerek. Keep tense and person on the main verb: yazarak öğreniyoruz. Note gitmek → giderek, etmek → ederek, demek → diyerek, yemek → yiyerek.
| Stem | Suffix shape | Result |
|---|---|---|
| koş- | -arak | koşarak |
| gül- | -erek | gülerek |
| oku- | -yarak | okuyarak |
| bekle- | -yerek | bekleyerek |
| yürü- | -yerek | yürüyerek |
| git- | -erek | giderek |
| et- | -erek | ederek |
| de- | -yerek | diyerek |
| ye- | -yerek | yiyerek |
Examples
- Çocuklar merdivenleri koşarak çıktı.The children ran up the stairs.
- Annem haberi gülümseyerek anlattı.My mother told the news with a smile.
- Bu kelimeleri yazarak öğreniyoruz.We are learning these words by writing them.
- Babam notları okuyarak hazırlandı.My father prepared by reading the notes.
- okuyarakby readingokuyBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelsarakBy doing: -arak / -erek
- bekleyerekby waitingbekleyBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelserekBy doing: -arak / -erek
- yürüyerekby walking; on footyürüyBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelserekBy doing: -arak / -erek
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Watch out
Do not borrow the narrowed vowel from the present continuous: bekliyor becomes bekleyerek, because you return to bekle-. The special spellings diyerek and yiyerek do not make every final e change to i. Nor does a consonant-ending stem need a linking y: giderek.
Try it yourself
Form “by running” from koşmak.
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koşarak
koşarak: removing -mak leaves koş-. Its o selects the back-vowel ending, and final ş allows direct attachment without y.
Form “by waiting” from beklemek.
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bekleyerek
bekleyerek: the base is bekle-, with final e intact. Insert y between that vowel and -erek; the waiting form has no tense ending.
Form “by going” from gitmek.
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giderek
giderek: in this verb, final t changes to d before the vowel of -erek. There is no vowel at the end of git- requiring a linking y.
Form “by eating” from yemek.
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yiyerek
yiyerek: this is the special spelling of the eating form: ye- becomes yi- before y. It describes eating as the accompanying action or method.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Form “by running” from koşmak.
Form “by waiting” from beklemek.
Form “by going” from gitmek.
Form “by eating” from yemek.
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: by reading
Tap the parts in order to build this word: by waiting
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Describe three ways you learn or travel. Use one consonant-ending stem and two vowel-ending stems. Circle the linking letter where it occurs and identify the main verb.