Present Continuous in Turkish
Şimdiki Zaman
The Present Continuous tense is used to describe actions happening right now. It is formed by adding the suffix -iyor to the verb stem, along with personal endings.
Spelling & Harmony Rules
The suffix -iyor is consistent, but vowel rules apply to the stem:
okumak → ok-uyor (the final vowel is dropped)Stem ends in a vowel
yapmak → yap-ıyor (no change)Stem ends in a consonant
The 'i' in -iyor changes to match the last vowel of the stem (e.g., gel-iyor vs. bak-ıyor)Vowel Harmony
The Formula
To conjugate a verb, take the stem, add the tense suffix, and then the personal ending.
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Verb Stem | The base form without -mak/-mek |
| Tense Suffix | -iyor (or variants due to harmony) |
| Personal Ending | Matches the subject (e.g., -um, -sun) |
Conjugation Example: Gelmek (To come)
Here is how the verb 'gel' conjugates across all persons:
| Person | Turkish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | Geliyorum | I am coming |
| Sen | Geliyorsun | You are coming |
| O | Geliyor | He/She is coming |
| Biz | Geliyoruz | We are coming |
| Siz | Geliyorsunuz | You are coming (pl/formal) |
| Onlar | Geliyorlar | They are coming |
Example Sentences
Şu an kitap okuyorum.I am reading a book right now.
Annem yemek yapıyor.My mother is cooking (food).
Onlar bize geliyorlar.They are coming to us.
Ne düşünüyorsun?What are you thinking?