Turkish Lesson4-Section1 (Present tense in Turkish)

Introduction to Present Continuous Tense in Turkish

(Şimdiki Zamanın Tanıtımı)

The Present Continuous Tense in Turkish is used to describe ongoing actions happening right now or actions that occur regularly. It corresponds to the English “-ing” form (e.g., I am learning, I am coming).

📌 In Turkish, the Present Continuous Tense is formed as follows:
➡ Root Verb + Present Continuous Tense Suffix (-ıyor, -iyor, -uyor, -üyor) + Personal Suffix

💡 The present continuous tense suffix changes according to vowel harmony rules.

Sentence Examples

📌 Benim adım Mahmut. Almanya’da yaşıyorum. (My name is Mahmut. I live in Germany.)
📌 Frankfurt’tan geliyorum. (I am coming from Frankfurt.)
📌 Her gün Türkçe öğreniyorum. (I am learning Turkish every day.)
📌 Türkçe çok kolay. (Turkish is very easy.)
📌 Okula bazen geç kalıyorum. (I am sometimes late to school.)
📌 O zaman dolmuşa biniyorum. (Then I take the minibus.)

Present Continuous Tense Structure in Turkish

Why Do We Use Different Suffixes?

(Şimdiki Zaman Ekleri Neden Farklı Kullanılır?)

The suffix changes based on the last vowel of the verb root, following vowel harmony rules.

💡 In Turkish, we always apply vowel harmony to make the pronunciation flow naturally.

Grammar Questions & Answers

(Gramer Soruları ve Cevapları)

📌 1. Why do we use “-ıyor” for “yaşıyorum”?
➡ In Turkish, the verb “yaşa” (to live) ends in “-a”, which is a back vowel. According to Turkish vowel harmony, if the last vowel is a or ı, we use “-ıyor”.
✔ Correct Form: Yaşıyorum (I am living).

📌 2. Why do we use “-iyor” for “geliyorum”?
➡ In Turkish, the verb “gel” (to come) ends in “-e”, which is a front vowel. If the last vowel is e or i, we use “-iyor”.
✔ Correct Form: Geliyorum (I am coming).

📌 3. Why do we use “-iyor” for “öğreniyorum”?
➡ The verb “öğren” (to learn) ends in “-e”, which is a front vowel. If the last vowel is e or i, we use “-iyor”.
✔ Correct Form: Öğreniyorum (I am learning).

📌 4. Why do we use “-ıyor” for “kalıyorum”?
➡ The verb “kal” (to stay) ends in “-a”, which is a back vowel. If the last vowel is a or ı, we use “-ıyor”.
✔ Correct Form: Kalıyorum (I am staying).

📌 5. Why do we use “-iyor” for “biniyorum”?
➡ The verb “bin” (to get on, ride) ends in “-i”, which is a front vowel. If the last vowel is e or i, we use “-iyor”.
✔ Correct Form: Biniyorum (I am getting on).

Summary (Özet)

✔ The Present Continuous Tense in Turkish is formed with:
➡ Root Verb + Present Continuous Suffix (-ıyor, -iyor, -uyor, -üyor) + Personal Suffix
✔ The choice of suffix depends on vowel harmony.
✔ This tense is used for ongoing actions or repeated actions.
✔ Practicing with different verbs will help you remember the rules easily.

Questions for STUDENT