How to Use “-ken” in Turkish?-GC2
How to Use “-ken” in Turkish?
The suffix “-ken” is attached to words to indicate “while” or “when” something happens. It can be used with:
Verbs → To indicate two simultaneous actions.
Nouns → To describe a time period when something happened.
Adverbs → To describe a condition during an action.
STEP-BY-STEP RULE TABLE FOR THE SUFFIX “-ken” (WHILE)
Step 1: Identify the Word Type
Word Type: Noun or Adjective
Example: çocuk (child), genç (young), öğrenci (student), mutlu (happy)
Rule: Attach “-ken” directly. No change is needed.
Result Table:
| Turkish Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| çocukken | while (being) a child / as a child |
| gençken | while (being) young / when I was young |
| öğrenciyken | while (being) a student |
| mutluyken | while (being) happy |
Note for Nouns: If the noun ends in a vowel, a buffer “-y” is added: öğrenci + y + ken = öğrenciyken.
Step 2: Identify the Word Type
Word Type: Verb
Example: çalışmak (to study), yürümek (to walk), yemek (to eat)
Rule: You cannot add “-ken” directly to the verb root. First, you must turn the verb into its present participle form (the “-ing” form in concept).
Step 3: For Verbs – Form the Present Participle
Take the verb root and add the present continuous tense suffix -iyor.
çalış + iyor = çalışıyor (studying)
yürü + iyor = yürüyor (walking)
ye + iyor = yiyor (eating)
Step 4: Add “-ken” to the Present Participle
Attach -ken to the -iyor form. In spoken and written Turkish, -iyor often contracts and merges with -ken.
Contraction Rule: -iyor + ken becomes -irken / -ırken / -ürken / -urken (depending on vowel harmony).
Final Verb Table:
| Verb & Process | Final Form (while…) / English |
|---|---|
| çalış (root) + ıyor → çalışıyor + ken → çalışırken | çalışırken(common)/ çalışıyorken/ while studying |
| yürü (root) + yor → yürüyor + ken → yürürken | yürürken(common) /yürüyorken/ while walking |
| oku (root) + yor → okuyor + ken → okurken | okurken(common)/okuyorken / while reading |
| ye (root) + iyor → yiyor + ken → yerken | yerken(common)/yiyorken / while eating |
| konuş (root) + uyor → konuşuyor + ken → konuşurken | konuşurken(common)/konuşuyorken / while talking |
Summary: For verbs, the pattern you noticed (-rken, -ırken) is the result of this two-step process: Verb Root → (-iyor form) → + ken. It is not a single suffix, but a contracted combination.
Usage of “-ken” (EXAMPLES)
1. “-ken” with Verbs
It is attached to the simple past or present continuous verb root.
It means “while doing something.”
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ders çalışırken müzik dinlerim. | I listen to music while studying. |
| Yürürken telefonla konuşuyordu. | He was talking on the phone while walking. |
| Yemek yerken televizyon izleme. | Don’t watch TV while eating. |
| Kitap okurken kahve içerim. | I drink coffee while reading a book. |
| Konuşurken dikkatli olmalısın. | You should be careful while speaking. |
2. “-ken” with Nouns (EXAMPLES)
It is used with nouns to indicate “when someone was in a certain state or age.”
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Küçükken çok oyun oynardım. | I used to play a lot when I was little. |
| Gençken daha aktiftim. | I was more active when I was young. |
| Çocukken köyde yaşıyordum. | I used to live in the village when I was a child. |
| Öğrenciyken çok çalışırdım. | I used to study a lot when I was a student. |
| Üniversitedeyken çok eğlendim. | I had a lot of fun when I was at university. |
3. “-ken” with Adverbs (EXAMPLES)
It is used with adverbs to describe a condition during an action.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Yavaşken bile çok hızlı görünüyor. | It looks very fast even when it’s slow. |
| Dışarısı sıcakken dondurma yemeliyiz. | We should eat ice cream while it’s hot outside. |
| Hızlıyken dikkatli olmalısın. | You should be careful while being fast. |
| Sessizken daha iyi odaklanırım. | I focus better when it’s quiet. |
| Yorgunken karar vermemelisin. | You shouldn’t make decisions while being tired. |