Yaklaşmak links physical distance with time and attitude. You will describe a boat nearing land, a meeting drawing near and a cautious response to a proposal. Read the forms table first, then compare the contexts.
The idea
Use yaklaşmak with a dative target: kıyıya yaklaşmak means to approach the shore. The same pattern works with an abstract goal, çözüme yaklaşmak. In toplantı saati yaklaşıyor, the approaching time is the subject. With bir öneriye şüpheyle yaklaşmak, the verb describes an attitude: treating a proposal with suspicion. The stem is yaklaş-; compare yaklaşıyorum, yaklaştım and yaklaşacağım.
| Form / person | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | yaklaşmak |
| Present continuous · I | yaklaşıyorum |
| Aorist · I | yaklaşırım |
| Past · I | yaklaştım |
| Future · I | yaklaşacağım |
| Negative present · I | yaklaşmıyorum |
| Present question · you (singular) | yaklaşıyor musun? |
| Negative command · polite or plural | yaklaşmayın |
Examples
- Tekne kıyıya yavaşça yaklaşıyor.The boat is slowly approaching the shore.
- Kedi bana sessizce yaklaştı.The cat quietly approached me.
- Toplantı saati hızla yaklaşıyor.The meeting time is fast approaching.
- Bu öneriye neden şüpheyle yaklaşıyorsun?Why are you treating this proposal with suspicion?
- Yeni bilgiler sayesinde çözüme biraz daha yaklaştık.Thanks to the new information, we got a little closer to a solution.
- Yarın fotoğraf çekmek için kuleye yaklaşacağım.Tomorrow I will go closer to the tower to take photos.
- Hedefe yaklaşmak, hedefe ulaşmak demek değildir.Getting closer to a goal does not mean reaching it.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
English “approach something” can tempt you to use an accusative object. Turkish needs kıyıya, not kıyıyı, for the target here. Also, hedefe yaklaştık only says we got closer; it does not claim we reached the goal. That would be hedefe ulaştık.
Try it yourself
Fill the gap with the correct form of ben: the child came closer to me.
Show answer or example answer
bana
bana: the child moves towards the speaker. The dative of ben is the irregular form bana; beni would mark a direct object.
Use yaklaşmak in the past, with “we”: yesterday we got a little closer to a solution.
Show answer or example answer
yaklaştık
yaklaştık: dün places the progress in the past and “we” needs the plural ending. After ş, the past begins with t, giving yaklaştık.
Use the future of yaklaşmak with “I”: tomorrow I will get a little closer to the tower.
Show answer or example answer
yaklaşacağım
yaklaşacağım: the requested future and “I” give this form. The k in yaklaşacak becomes ğ before the vowel of the person ending; the stem’s ş stays.
Choose the form meaning “with suspicion”: şüphe or şüpheyle.
Show answer or example answer
şüpheyle
şüpheyle: the missing word tells us how the speaker regards the proposal. Bare şüphe names suspicion; şüpheyle expresses “with suspicion”, so no physical movement is involved.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Fill the gap with the correct form of ben: the child came closer to me.
Use yaklaşmak in the past, with “we”: yesterday we got a little closer to a solution.
Use the future of yaklaşmak with “I”: tomorrow I will get a little closer to the tower.
Choose the form meaning “with suspicion”: şüphe or şüpheyle.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Write three short situations: a physical approach, an approaching event and an attitude towards an idea. Use a different form from the table in each. Then practise the opposite direction with uzaklaşmak.