gerekmek: what needs doing, and when
Whose action is necessary? Use gerekmek to place a need in the present, past or future, and distinguish not needing to act from needing not to act.
Read and practiseAdventure journal
Turkish verbs
Learn each verb with its stem, tenses and common sentences, from olmak and gitmek to less frequent verbs.
Adventure journal
Turkish verbs
Choose your level
The lesson search could not load. You can still browse the pages.
No matching lesson. Try a shorter search or another topic.
Zorlamak: force an action, put under strain
Pressure to decide and a stretched budget both call for zorlamak. Practise its forms, mark who is affected, and connect the action someone is forced to take.
Read and practisezorlanmak: have difficulty doing something
A steep hill or two similar sounds can cause difficulty: use zorlanmak, practise its forms and distinguish struggling to do something from being forced to do it.
Read and practiseyetmek: having enough, being sufficient
A pot of soup can feed everyone, while a shelf can run out of room: use yetmek to judge sufficiency, name who benefits and say when an action is enough.
Read and practiseBaşarmak: succeed in doing something
A task finally accomplished: use başarmak with a specific object or an action, practise its forms, and distinguish success from simply starting.
Read and practisedüzenlemek: arrange materials and organize events
From archive files to exhibitions, düzenlemek gives things a workable order. Practise its forms, passive uses and the difference between organizing and correcting.
Read and practisedüzeltmek: correct a mistake, straighten something
A typo or a crooked picture calls for düzeltmek. Practise its forms, identify what gets corrected, and distinguish an action from a change of state.
Read and practisekıskanmak: envy and jealousy
Someone else’s courage, patience or success can prompt kıskanmak. Practise its forms, accusative objects and the difference between envy and jealousy in context.
Read and practisebağırmak: shouting and making yourself heard
A raised voice can express excitement or anger. Use bağırmak with a dative recipient, compare bağırırım and bağıracağım, and say “without shouting”.
Read and practiseuğraşmak: spend effort, work on, bother
Pottery, repairs and stubborn knots: use uğraşmak for what takes your time and effort, practise its forms, and recognise when it means bothering someone.
Read and practiseeklemek: adding something to something else
From soup to a guest list, eklemek links what you add to its destination. Practise ekliyoruz, ekledik and the dative in original Turkish examples.
Read and practisekaydetmek: save a file or record a sound
A saved document and a recorded sound both use kaydetmek. Learn why kaydediyorum has d but kaydettik has tt, then give a clear negative command.
Read and practiseindirmek: bring down, drop off or download
A map downloaded to your phone and boxes taken off a shelf use indirmek. Practise its forms and distinguish it from getting off yourself with inmek.
Read and practiseyüklemek: load a vehicle or upload a file
Boxes go onto a truck; photos go onto a website. Use yüklemek for loading and uploading, practise yüklüyoruz, and follow the direction of a transfer.
Read and practiseçıkarmak: take out, take off and subtract
A book comes out of a bag and a coat comes off: practise çıkarmak, its object and source endings, and the contrast with leaving a room yourself.
Read and practiseduymak: hearing sounds and news
Duyuyorum describes hearing; duyamıyorum explains a bad connection. Learn duymak with sounds, news, tense forms and three focused exercises.
Read and practisedokunmak: touching with the dative
Ekrana dokunmak means touching the screen. Learn why dokunmak takes a dative complement, then practise past forms and polite negative instructions.
Read and practiseasmak: hanging laundry, pictures and notices
Asmak places an object on a support: çamaşır asmak, duvara asmak. Practise the past astık, dative destinations and the future asacağız.
Read and practisetakmak: putting on and fitting accessories
Takmak covers glasses, ties, seat belts and fitted parts. Practise takıyorum, taktık and destinations such as prize through original Turkish examples.
Read and practisesökmek: taking parts off and undoing seams
Sökmek means removing something attached or taking it apart. Learn söküyoruz and söktük through shelves, table legs, screws and a seam.
Read and practisedüşürmek: dropping objects and lowering levels
Düşürmek can describe a dropped phone or a reduced price. Practise düşürdüm, düşürüyoruz and the object ending in telefonumu with clear contrasts.
Read and practiseyanmak: burning and lights being on
Yanmak describes what burns or glows: a lamp, a candle or overcooked food. Learn yanıyor and yandı, and distinguish a lit light from switching it on.
Read and practiseyakmak: lighting, switching on and burning something
Yakmak names the action that makes a candle burn or a light come on. Practise yaktık and yakıyorum, and separate an action from its result.
Read and practiseyetişmek: catching up and arriving in time
Yetişmek adds the idea of making it in time or catching up. Learn yetiştim, yetişeceğiz and dative destinations through transport and meeting examples.
Read and practise