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Turkish A1 · Beginner

The Turkish present continuous: -iyor

Say what is happening with -iyor: geliyorum, yapıyorsun, okuyoruz. Four-way harmony, stems like bekliyor and gidiyor, the negative gelmiyorum and the question geliyor musun?

By Kerem, native Turkish teacher · Audio for every example

The Turkish present continuous with -iyor says what is happening now: (I’m coming), (What are you doing?). In everyday speech it also covers routines, so means “I work every day”. It is the first tense most learners meet, and the one you will hear most.

Like every Turkish tense, it is built from parts: the verb stem, then -iyor, then a short ending that says who. There are no irregular verbs to memorize, only a few stems that change a letter.

The pattern

verb stemplus-iyor / -ıyor / -uyor / -üyor-ing, nowplus-um / -sun / -uz …who

How to build -iyor

Start with the dictionary form and drop -mek or -mak to get the stem: gelmek → gel, . Then add -iyor. With nothing after it, the form means “he”, “she” or “it”: = he is coming, she is coming or it is coming.

Build the word, one part at a timeTurkish adds each new part to the end of the word. Watch where the English puts it.
gelcomeiyor-ing (now)umI

I’m coming

Step 3 of 3umI

Who? I. After -di and -se it is just -m, and in gelmem (I don’t come) too.

  • Last vowel o is back and round, so the vowel is u: -um.
Finished word

  • Ali geliyor.

    Ali is coming.

  • Bebek uyuyor.

    The baby is sleeping.

  • Yağmur yağıyor.

    It’s raining.

Tip: is literally “rain is falling”. Turkish has no empty “it” as in “it’s raining”: the rain itself does the falling.

Vowel harmony: -iyor, -ıyor, -uyor or -üyor

The first vowel of the ending copies the last vowel of the stem, following four-way harmony. After e or i it is -iyor, after a or ı it is -ıyor, after o or u it is -uyor, and after ö or ü it is -üyor. The -yor part never changes.

Vowel harmony: four waysTap a word to see where its last vowel leads

come · last vowel e

gel

Frontsaid at the front of the mouth
Backsaid further back
Flat lips
Front, flat lips: e and iei-iyor
Back, flat lips: a and ıaı-ıyor
Round lips
Front, round lips: ö and üöü-üyor
Back, round lips: o and uou-uyor

geliyor: the last vowel is e, a front, flat vowel, so the ending has i.

  1. last vowel e
  2. front, flat
  3. ending vowel i
gelcomeiyor-ing (now)

is coming

The ending:Ending: i or ı or u or ü, here i, y, o, r

  • Last vowel of the stem

    e, i

    Ending
    -iyor
    Examples
    geliyor,biliyor

  • Last vowel of the stem

    a, ı

    Ending
    -ıyor
    Examples
    yapıyor,bakıyor

  • Last vowel of the stem

    o, u

    Ending
    -uyor
    Examples
    konuşuyor,oturuyor

  • Last vowel of the stem

    ö, ü

    Ending
    -üyor
    Examples
    görüyor,gülüyor

Why?

It is the same four-way pattern as the question word and the “to be” endings -im, -ım, -um, -üm. Learn it once and it works everywhere. If harmony is new to you, start with our guide to Turkish vowel harmony.

Kerem’s note

Stems that end in a vowel

If the stem ends in e or a, that vowel drops and -iyor takes its place. The new vowel follows the vowel before it: bekle → bekliyor (is waiting), (understands), oyna → oynuyor (is playing), (says).

Sound change: a vowel drops outTap Join to watch the letters change

In some words the vowel of the last syllable drops out when an ending with a vowel comes.

bekle → bekliyor

  • beklewaitiyor-ing (now)

    is waiting

  • anlaunderstandıyor-ing (now)

    understands

  • oynaplayuyor-ing (now)

    is playing

  • söylesayüyor-ing (now)

    says

These keep their vowel

  • okureadyor-ing (now)

    is reading: oku ends in u, so just -yor

  • yürüwalkyor-ing (now)

    is walking: yürü ends in ü, so just -yor

If the stem ends in i, ı, u or ü, nothing drops: just add -yor. oku → okuyor, uyu → uyuyor, .

A handful of very common verbs change a letter. gitmek (go) and etmek (do) turn their t into d before a vowel: , . (eat) and demek (say) lose their e, just like bekle: , .

  • Verb

    gitmek (go)

    Stem
    git
    I …
    gidiyor-ing (now)umI

  • Verb

    etmek (do)

    Stem
    et
    I …
    ediyor-ing (now)umI

  • Verb

    yemek (eat)

    Stem
    ye
    I …
    y​iyor-ing (now)umI

  • Verb

    demek (say)

    Stem
    de
    I …
    d​iyor-ing (now)umI

Tip: etmek is in many everyday phrases: (I’m helping), dans ediyor (she’s dancing), telefon ediyorum (I’m calling).

Personal endings: geliyorum, geliyorsun…

After -iyor comes an ending that says who: -um (ben), -sun (sen), nothing (o), -uz (biz), -sunuz (siz) and -lar (onlar). They always have u, because the last vowel before them is the o of -yor, and “they” is always -lar.

The verb machineyapmak = to do. Pick a tense and a person: the root stays, the endings change.

(ben) now

yapdoıyor-ing (now)umI

Meaning:Ido-ing, right now

Happening now, or planned soon. The vowel before it follows harmony, but -yor itself never changes.

Always in this order:roottenseperson

When?

Who?

All the forms

Tap a form to build it above. Only the endings change: the root stays the same.

  • ben

    gelmek (come)
    geliyor-ing (now)umI
    okumak (read)
    okuyor-ing (now)umI
    beklemek (wait)
    bekl​iyor-ing (now)umI
    görmek (see)
    görüyor-ing (now)umI

  • sen

    gelmek (come)
    geliyor-ing (now)sunyou
    okumak (read)
    okuyor-ing (now)sunyou
    beklemek (wait)
    bekl​iyor-ing (now)sunyou
    görmek (see)
    görüyor-ing (now)sunyou

  • o

    gelmek (come)
    geliyor-ing (now)
    okumak (read)
    okuyor-ing (now)
    beklemek (wait)
    bekl​iyor-ing (now)
    görmek (see)
    görüyor-ing (now)

  • biz

    gelmek (come)
    geliyor-ing (now)uzwe
    okumak (read)
    okuyor-ing (now)uzwe
    beklemek (wait)
    bekl​iyor-ing (now)uzwe
    görmek (see)
    görüyor-ing (now)uzwe

  • siz

    gelmek (come)
    geliyor-ing (now)sunuzyou (siz)
    okumak (read)
    okuyor-ing (now)sunuzyou (siz)
    beklemek (wait)
    bekl​iyor-ing (now)sunuzyou (siz)
    görmek (see)
    görüyor-ing (now)sunuzyou (siz)

  • onlar

    gelmek (come)
    geliyor-ing (now)larthey
    okumak (read)
    okuyor-ing (now)larthey
    beklemek (wait)
    bekl​iyor-ing (now)larthey
    görmek (see)
    görüyor-ing (now)larthey

Why?

These are the same endings you use for “to be”: (I’m tired), yorgunsun (you’re tired). So is really “coming-I-am”. One set of endings, used twice. See our guide to the verb “to be” in Turkish.

Kerem’s note

Because the ending already says who, you can leave out , and the others: = I’m coming. Use the pronoun only for emphasis or contrast: = I’m working, and you’re sleeping!

Tip: With a plural subject, -lar is often left off the verb: = The children are playing.

Negative: gelmiyorum (I’m not coming)

To say “not”, put an m between the stem and -iyor. The vowel after it still follows the stem, so you hear -mi-, -mı-, -mu- or -mü- before -yor: , , okumuyorum, . The personal endings stay the same.

Switch on “not”Flip a switch to see where “not” goes. The rest of the word stays.

Verbs: -me or -ma, right after the root.root-me / -matenseperson

  • gelcomeiyor-ing (now)umI

    I’m coming

  • yapdoıyor-ing (now)sunyou

    You’re doing it

  • okureadyor-ing (now)uzwe

    We’re reading

  • gidgoiyor-ing (now)larthey

    They’re going

  • ben

    gelmek (come)
    gelm​notiyor-ing (now)umI
    yapmak (do)
    yapm​notıyor-ing (now)umI

  • sen

    gelmek (come)
    gelm​notiyor-ing (now)sunyou
    yapmak (do)
    yapm​notıyor-ing (now)sunyou

  • o

    gelmek (come)
    gelm​notiyor-ing (now)
    yapmak (do)
    yapm​notıyor-ing (now)

  • biz

    gelmek (come)
    gelm​notiyor-ing (now)uzwe
    yapmak (do)
    yapm​notıyor-ing (now)uzwe

  • siz

    gelmek (come)
    gelm​notiyor-ing (now)sunuzyou (siz)
    yapmak (do)
    yapm​notıyor-ing (now)sunuzyou (siz)

  • onlar

    gelmek (come)
    gelm​notiyor-ing (now)larthey
    yapmak (do)
    yapm​notıyor-ing (now)larthey

Why?

The real “not” ending is -me / -ma, as in gelmedim (I didn’t come). But an e or an a can’t stay in front of -yor, so it drops, just like the e of bekle. What’s left is m + iyor.

Kerem’s note

  • Anlamıyorum.

    I don’t understand.

  • Bilmiyorum.

    I don’t know.

  • Bugün çalışmıyoruz.

    We’re not working today.

  • Ali et yemiyor.

    Ali doesn’t eat meat.

Tip: gitmek and look normal again in the negative, because m comes right after the stem: but gitmiyorum, but yemiyorum.

Questions: geliyor musun? (Are you coming?)

For a yes/no question, write the question word after the verb as a separate word, and move the personal ending onto it: → After -yor it is always , because the last vowel is the o of -yor. Only onlar keeps its -lar on the verb:

The question word mimi turns a sentence into a yes/no question.

Where the person ending goes

Most endings that say who (-um, -sun…) move onto mi. After -di (past) and -se (if), they stay on the verb.

  • Gelcomeiyor-ing (now)mu? (yes/no)yglueumI?

    Am I coming?ending on mi

  • Gelcomeiyor-ing (now)mu? (yes/no)sunyou?

    Are you coming?ending on mi

  • Gelcomeiyor-ing (now)mu? (yes/no)?

    Is he / she coming?

  • Gelcomeiyor-ing (now)mu? (yes/no)yglueuzwe?

    Are we coming?ending on mi

  • Gelcomeiyor-ing (now)mu? (yes/no)sunuzyou (siz)?

    Are you coming? (siz)ending on mi

  • Gelcomeiyor-ing (now)lartheymı? (yes/no)?

    Are they coming?stays on the verb

Ask about one word

mi goes right after the word you are asking about. Tap a word of the sentence.

Elif is coming today.

Elifbugüngeliyormu?

Is Elif coming today?

A negative question works the same way: = Aren’t you coming? With a question word such as (what), (where) or (when), there is no mu, and the ending stays on the verb: Our guide to the question particle mi covers all the details.

  • Türkçe konuşuyor musunuz?

    Do you speak Turkish?

  • Beni anlıyor musun?

    Do you understand me?

  • Gelmiyor musun?

    Aren’t you coming?

  • Nereye gidiyorsunuz?

    Where are you going?

Tip: Answer by repeating the verb: (Do you understand? – Yes, I do.) (No, I don’t.)

When to use -iyor

Use -iyor for what is happening right now, often with (now) or (at the moment), and for routines, often with (every day), (every morning) or genellikle (usually). Like English “I’m going”, it also works for plans: = I’m going to Izmir tomorrow.

  • Şimdiyemekyapıyorum.

    Word by word: now, meal, I’m making.

    I’m cooking now.

  • Hersabahyedidekalkıyorum.

    Word by word: every, morning, at seven, I get up.

    I get up at seven every morning.

  • Cumartesiannemleregidiyoruz.

    Word by word: Saturday, to my parents’, we’re going.

    We’re going to my parents’ on Saturday.

Many verbs that English never puts in the “-ing” form take -iyor in Turkish: (I know Turkish), (I understand you), (I want tea), Seni seviyorum (I love you). More on that last one in how to say I love you in Turkish.

Turkish also has a second present tense, the aorist (-ir, -er), for general truths, habits you see as part of who you are, offers and promises: = Would you like some tea? You’ll meet it in our guide to the aorist tense. For now, -iyor covers most of what you want to say.

Common mistakes

Watch out

Not:konuşiyorum

Say:konuşuyorum

-iyor is just the name of the ending. Its first vowel changes: the last vowel of is u, so it is -uyor.

Watch out

Not:bekleyorum

Say:bekliyorum

The e of bekle never stays before -yor. It drops, and -iyor comes in: bekl + iyor + um.

Watch out

Not:gitiyorum

Say:gidiyorum

gitmek turns its t into d before a vowel. The same happens with etmek: .

Watch out

Not:gelmeyorum

Say:gelmiyorum

The e of the negative -me drops before -yor too: gel + m + iyor + um.

Watch out

Not:Geliyorsun mu?

Say:Geliyor musun?

In a question, the ending leaves the verb and goes onto . Only onlar keeps -lar on the verb:

Watch out

Not:Ben geliyor.

Say:Ben geliyorum.

on its own means “he is coming” or “she is coming”. For “I”, the verb needs its own ending -um, even when ben is there.

A short dialogue

Read or listen, then answer

What is Selin doing at home?

  1. Emre

    Alo Selin, neredesin? Ne yapıyorsun?

  2. Selin

    Evdeyim. Kahve içiyorum ve kitap okuyorum. Sen?

  3. Emre

    Ben kafedeyim, arkadaşlarım da burada. Sen de geliyor musun?

  4. Selin

    Bilmiyorum, biraz yorgunum. Ne yapıyorsunuz?

  5. Emre

    Maç izliyoruz. Türkiye oynuyor!

  6. Selin

    Gerçekten mi? Maç ne zaman başlıyor?

  7. Emre

    Şimdi başlıyor! Hadi, gel!

  8. Selin

    Tamam, geliyorum!

Spot the -iyor forms: , , , , , , , , and .

Summary

  • Positive

    How
    stem + -iyor / -ıyor / -uyor / -üyor + ending
    Example

  • Stem ends in e or a

    How
    the vowel drops: bekle → bekliyor
    Example

  • Negative

    How
    stem + -m + -iyor + ending
    Example

  • Question

    How
    stem + -iyor + mu + ending
    Example

Practice this in Lesson 49 of Turkish A1

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