Turkish Tenses: -iyor vs Aorist -ir vs Future -ecek

Turkish has three tenses for talking about now and later, and each answers a different question. **Use -iyor (gidiyorum) for what is happening now or is already arranged, the aorist -ir/-er (giderim) for habits, general truths, offers and polite requests, and -ecek/-acak (gideceğim) for plans and predictions.** Most learner mistakes come from mapping these onto English one-to-one. English "I go" is not always giderim, and "I will" is not always -ecek.

A quick decision guide

If you're stuck on a sentence, ask what you're actually saying. In the table below, a capital letter marks a sound that changes to match the word:

English speakers tend to underuse the aorist. It covers habits, and also offers, requests and soft promises, which English expresses with "would", "could" and "I'll".

Present continuous -iyor: now, these days, and arranged plans

The -iyor tense (şimdiki zaman) describes an action in progress. It also covers things that are true for a current period (Bu ay çok çalışıyorum, "I'm working a lot this month") and near-future plans that are already fixed, usually with a time word: Akşam sinemaya gidiyoruz ("We're going to the cinema tonight").

Turkish uses -iyor for verbs English keeps out of the progressive. Seni seviyorum (I love you), anlıyorum (I understand), istiyorum (I want) and biliyorum (I know) are all normal, so don't read them as "I am loving".

How to build it

Add a four-way vowel (ı, i, u, ü) plus -yor to the verb stem, then the personal ending. The -yor part never changes its vowel, so the endings after it are always -um, -sun, -uz, -sunuz. It is one of the few suffixes that ignore vowel harmony.

A few details:

• Stems ending in a or e narrow that vowel. The Turkish Language Association's (TDK) rule on vowel narrowing gives başla → başlıyor, izle → izliyor and de → diyor, and ye becomes yiyor the same way. You say and write the narrowed vowel.
• Stems ending in ı, i, u or ü just add -yor: oku → okuyor, yürü → yürüyor.
• Some verbs soften t to d: git → gidiyor, et → ediyor.
• For the negative, add -m- before the vowel: gelmiyorum, yapmıyorum, okumuyorum.
• The question particle is written as a separate word, as in TDK's examples for mı/mi/mu/mü (Okuyor muyuz?). So: Geliyor musun?

Aorist -ir/-er: habits, general truths, offers and polite requests

The aorist (geniş zaman, literally "broad tense") describes what is true in general rather than at one moment. You'll use it for:

• habits: Hafta sonları geç kalkarım. (I get up late at weekends.)
• character: Babam sigara içmez. (My dad doesn't smoke.)
• general truths: Kediler balık sever. (Cats like fish.)
• offers: Ben hallederim. (I'll take care of it.) Kahve alır mısınız? (Would you like coffee?)
• polite requests: Pencereyi açar mısınız? (Could you open the window?)
• soft promises: Akşam ararım. (I'll call you this evening.)

The request pattern, aorist plus mı/mi with siz, is everyday politeness you'll hear in shops and offices. Our guide to Turkish greetings and everyday phrases has more set expressions like these.

How to build it

The marker depends on the shape of the stem:

1. Vowel-final stems take -r: oku → okur, bekle → bekler, ye → yer, de → der.
2. Consonant-final stems with more than one syllable take four-way -ir: çalış → çalışır, otur → oturur, getir → getirir, öğren → öğrenir.
3. One-syllable consonant-final stems take -er/-ar: yap → yapar, iç → içer, sev → sever, bak → bakar, git → gider.
4. A short list of one-syllable verbs takes -ir instead: al → alır, bil → bilir, bul → bulur, dur → durur, gel → gelir, gör → görür, kal → kalır, ol → olur, öl → ölür, san → sanır, var → varır, ver → verir, vur → vurur.

Memorise that list as a unit: alar and verer are typical early slips.

The negative has its own pattern. The marker is -mez/-maz, but the first person drops the z: gelmem (I don't come), gelmeyiz (we don't come).

A negative question works as an invitation: Bize gelmez misin? ("Won't you come over to ours?").

Future -ecek/-acak: plans and predictions

The future tense (gelecek zaman) is for decisions you've made and things you expect to happen: Yaz tatilinde İzmir'e gideceğim ("I'm going to go to İzmir in the summer holiday"), Bu akşam yağmur yağacak ("It's going to rain tonight"). It sounds firmer than the aorist. Arayacağım is "I will call"; ararım is closer to "I'll give you a call".

How to build it

Add -ecek or -acak by two-way harmony. Vowel-final stems take a buffer y: oku → okuyacak, bekle → bekleyecek. Before a vowel ending the final k softens to ğ, so the first person forms are -eceğim and -eceğiz.

The same TDK narrowing rule has a catch here. Many people pronounce başlayacak as "başlıyacak", but the narrowing is not written: the correct spellings are başlayacak, yaşayacak and izlemeyecek. Only demek and yemek write the narrowed vowel, as diyecek and yiyecek. Questions follow the usual pattern: Gelecek misin?

In speech you'll hear shortened forms like gelicem or yapıcam. They're fine in a chat with friends; write the full forms in emails and exams.

How the three tenses differ in real sentences

One English sentence can need different Turkish tenses depending on what you mean.

"I'm going to Istanbul tomorrow"

• Yarın İstanbul'a gidiyorum. The trip is arranged, the ticket probably bought.
• Yarın İstanbul'a gideceğim. You're stating a plan or a decision.
• Yarın İstanbul'a giderim. Loose and conditional, something like "I can go tomorrow" or "I'll go tomorrow, I suppose".

"Do you smoke?"

• Sigara içer misin? Asks about a habit. It's also how you offer someone a cigarette.
• Sigara içiyor musun? Can mean "Are you smoking right now?" or "Are you a smoker these days?"

"Can you help me?"

• Bana yardım eder misiniz? A polite request.
• Bana yardım edecek misiniz? Asks about intention ("Are you going to help me?") and can sound impatient.

"I'll call you"

• Ararım. A friendly promise with no fixed time.
• Arayacağım. A definite commitment, often with a time: Saat beşte arayacağım.

When the event is already over, you need a past form instead. Our guide to the Turkish past tense, -di vs -miş, explains the difference between what you saw yourself and what you heard or worked out.

Common learner mistakes

Teachers correct these again and again, mostly at A1 and A2.

1. Using the aorist for "right now". Şimdi televizyon izlerim sounds like a habit; say Şimdi televizyon izliyorum.
2. Harmonizing -yor. Geliyorüm and görüyorsün don't exist, because after -yor the endings are always -um, -sun, -uz, -sunuz.
3. Picking the wrong aorist vowel. Gelar, alar and yapır should be gelir, alır and yapar.
4. Keeping the z in the negative aorist. It's gelmem and gelmeyiz, never gelmezim or gelmeziz.
5. Skipping the narrowing before -yor: başlayor and yeyor should be başlıyor and yiyor.
6. Writing a narrowing that belongs only in speech: başlıyacak and izlemiyecek should be başlayacak and izlemeyecek.
7. Forgetting the consonant changes. Gelecekim should be geleceğim, and gitiyorum should be gidiyorum.
8. Using -ecek for every English "will". Offers and on-the-spot reactions take the aorist: when the doorbell rings, "I'll get it" is Ben bakarım.

Our overview of Turkish levels from A1 to C2 describes what each level expects you to do with the language.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between -iyor and the aorist in Turkish?

-iyor describes what is happening now, during a current period, or as an arranged near-future plan. The aorist describes habits, general truths, character, offers and polite requests. Kahve içiyorum is "I'm drinking coffee"; kahve içerim is "I drink coffee" or "I'll have a coffee".

Can I use -iyor for habits?

Yes. In everyday speech Her gün yürüyorum ("I walk every day") is common and correct, especially for routines that belong to your life right now. The aorist Her gün yürürüm presents the habit as more general and lasting.

When do I use -ecek instead of the aorist for the future?

Use -ecek for decisions and predictions: Yarın erken kalkacağım. Use the aorist when you're offering, agreeing or promising loosely: Tamam, yarın gelirim.

Why is it "gelir" but "yapar"?

One-syllable verbs ending in a consonant usually take -er/-ar (yapar, gider), but thirteen common ones take -ir: alır, bilir, bulur, durur, gelir, görür, kalır, olur, ölür, sanır, varır, verir, vurur.

Is the future tense written "gelicem"?

No. Gelicem is how many people pronounce it in casual speech. The written form is geleceğim.

Picking the right tense mid-conversation takes much longer than learning the three rules, and the aorist in particular needs practice before it feels natural. Ceylan, our teacher, has an MA in Teaching Turkish and explains grammar in English when that's quicker. You can request a free trial lesson of 20 to 30 minutes, with or without taking the free level test first.