Future Tense in Turkish
Gelecek Zaman
The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen. It is formed by adding the suffix -acak / -ecek to the verb stem, followed by personal endings.
The Suffix Rules
The choice between -acak and -ecek depends on Two-Fold Vowel Harmony (based on the last vowel of the stem).
| Last Vowel | Suffix |
|---|---|
| a, ı, o, u | -acak |
| e, i, ö, ü | -ecek |
Conjugation Example: Gitmek (To go)
When adding the suffix to a stem ending in a consonant, the conjugation is regular:
| Person | Turkish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | Gideceğim | I will go |
| Sen | Gideceksin | You will go |
| O | Gidecek | He/She will go |
| Biz | Gideceğiz | We will go |
| Siz | Gideceksiniz | You will go |
| Onlar | Gidecekler | They will go |
Example Sentences
Yarın İstanbul'a gideceğim.I will go to Istanbul tomorrow.
Seni sonra arayacağım.I will call you later.
Biz bu akşam yemek yiyeceğiz.We will eat dinner this evening.
O, sınavı geçecek.He/She will pass the exam.
Gitmek → Gideceğim ('t' becomes 'd' before a vowel).Consonant Mutation (Softening)
Okumak → Okuyacağım (a 'y' buffer is added if the stem ends in a vowel).Vowel Ending
Important Spelling Rules
There are two major changes to be aware of: