bitirmek: to finish, and how it differs from bitmek

The idea

Bitirmek means to finish something, to bring it to its end, and it needs an object: ödevi bitirmek, işi bitirmek, okulu bitirmek. A definite object takes the accusative. The stem bitir ends in a consonant: bitiriyorum, bitirdim, bitireceğim, bitirmedim. When a thing ends by itself, with no object, Turkish uses bitmek: ders bitti, şeker bitti.

Examples

• Ödevimi akşam bitireceğim.I will finish my homework this evening.The object ödevimi is definite (my homework), so it takes the accusative: ödev + im + i. Before -im the k of -ecek turns into ğ: bitireceğim.
• Romanı dün bitirdim.I finished the novel yesterday.Roman ends in a consonant and its last vowel is back, so the accusative is -ı: romanı. The past of bitir is bitirdi, with d after the voiced r.
• Sen işini bitirdin mi?Have you finished your work?İş + in + i gives işini, the accusative with your possessive. The question particle is written apart: bitirdin mi. The pronoun sen may be dropped.
• Ders saat beşte bitiyor.The class ends at five o'clock.This is bitmek, not bitirmek: nobody finishes the class, it ends by itself. So there is no object and the stem is bit: bitiyor, not bitiriyor.
• Şeker bitti.The sugar has run out.Again bitmek: the sugar has run out without anyone finishing it. After the voiceless t of the stem the past ending is -ti: bitti.
• Kardeşim okulu geçen yıl bitirdi.My sibling finished school last year.Okul + u gives okulu, because the object of bitirmek takes the accusative. Okulu bitirmek means to complete one's schooling; kardeş is a sibling, so the sentence fits a brother or a sister.
• bitirmedilerthey did not finishbitir·medi-medi / -madı: the negative past·lerPast person endings: -m, -n, -k, -niz, -ler
• bitireceğizwe will finishbitir·eceğ-ecek / -acak: will, going to·iz-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are

Watch out

Do not use bitirmek when nobody finishes anything: Ders bitirdi is wrong, say Ders bitti. Ask whether someone brings the thing to its end: if so, bitirmek with an object; if not, bitmek.

Try it yourself

1. Put bitirmek into the past for ben: I finished my homework yesterday.

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   bitirdim

   bitirdim: the stem bitir ends in the voiced r, so the past ending starts with d, the front vowel i gives -di, and the person ending for ben is -m.

2. Use bitmek, not bitirmek, in the present: the class ends at six.

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   bitiyor

   bitiyor: nobody finishes the class, it ends by itself, so the verb is bitmek with the stem bit; after the front vowel i comes -iyor.

3. Put bitirmek into the future for ben: I will finish the project tomorrow.

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   bitireceğim

   bitireceğim: after the front vowel i comes -ecek, and before the ending -im the k turns into ğ.

4. Add the accusative to kitap: Have you finished this book?

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   kitabı

   kitabı: bu makes the object definite, so it takes the accusative; the final p of kitap softens to b before the vowel, and the back vowel a gives -ı.

Use it today

Write three sentences: something you finished today, something you will finish tomorrow, and something that ended by itself, such as a lesson or a supply. Check which verb each one needs.