Use tutmak to hold something steady, take notes or keep your word. The object tells you which meaning is intended; learn the whole expression alongside the verb forms.
The idea
The stem tut- keeps its final t: tutuyorum is “I am holding”, tuttum is “I held”, and the habitual form is tutarım. In tutacağım, only the future ending changes its k to ğ. A specific object takes the accusative, as in merdiveni tutmak (hold the ladder). Learn not tutmak (take notes) and sözünü tutmak (keep one’s promise) as whole expressions. The table shows plural verb forms with onlar; singular forms are also possible with an explicit plural subject.
| Person | Present continuous | Past | Future | Habitual | Negative present |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ben | tutuyorum | tuttum | tutacağım | tutarım | tutmuyorum |
| sen | tutuyorsun | tuttun | tutacaksın | tutarsın | tutmuyorsun |
| o | tutuyor | tuttu | tutacak | tutar | tutmuyor |
| biz | tutuyoruz | tuttuk | tutacağız | tutarız | tutmuyoruz |
| siz | tutuyorsunuz | tuttunuz | tutacaksınız | tutarsınız | tutmuyorsunuz |
| onlar | tutuyorlar | tuttular | tutacaklar | tutarlar | tutmuyorlar |
Examples
- Ben merdiveni sıkıca tutuyorum.I am holding the ladder firmly.
- Babam dün ipi tuttu.My father held the rope yesterday.
- Ben toplantılarda not tutarım.I take notes at meetings.
- Yarın sözümü tutacağım.I will keep my promise tomorrow.
- Bu kutuyu artık tutmuyorum.I am no longer holding this box.
- Şemsiyeyi bir dakika tutar mısın?Could you hold the umbrella for a minute?
- Lütfen kapıyı açık tutun.Please keep the door open.
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Watch out
Do not translate “take notes” word by word: the expression is not tutmak, not not yapmak. In sözümü tutacağım, nothing is being held in a hand: the speaker promises to do what they said.
Try it yourself
Complete with the present continuous of tutmak for ben: I am holding the ladder now.
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tutuyorum
tutuyorum: şimdi places the action in progress, and ben needs the first-person ending. The rounded u in the stem gives tutuyor-, with no change to t.
Use the past of tutmak: my father held the rope yesterday.
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tuttu
tuttu: dün locates this completed action yesterday. The subject is the father, so no first-person ending is added; after the stem’s t, the past ending starts with another t.
Use the habitual form of tutmak for ben: I take notes at every meeting.
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tutarım
tutarım: her toplantıda makes this a repeated habit. In this expression the speaker writes notes; tutar becomes tutarım for ben.
Use the future of tutmak for ben: I will keep my promise tomorrow.
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tutacağım
tutacağım: yarın places the promise in the future. Adding the first-person ending to tutacak changes the ending’s k to ğ; the t in the stem stays.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete with the present continuous of tutmak for ben: I am holding the ladder now.
Use the past of tutmak: my father held the rope yesterday.
Use the habitual form of tutmak for ben: I take notes at every meeting.
Use the future of tutmak for ben: I will keep my promise tomorrow.
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 one sentence about holding an object now, one about taking notes regularly and one about keeping a promise tomorrow. Choose a different verb form for each.