How to Use “-ken” in Turkish?-GC2
Lesson in English
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.
Usage of “-ken”
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
- 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
- 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. |