-mek üzere

About to and in Order to

Level 5

The pattern -mek üzere has two main functions: 1) Imminence (something is happening any second now) and 2) Formal Purpose (in order to / on the condition that).

How It Works

The construction -mek üzere is a versatile tool in Turkish grammar.

1. Morphology and Vowel Harmony
This pattern follows two-way vowel harmony. Use -mek üzere for front-vowel verbs (e.g., gelmek) and -mak üzere for back-vowel verbs (e.g., çıkmak). Because üzere ends in a vowel, you must use the buffer letter -y- when adding person suffixes that begin with a vowel, such as Gitmek üzereyim (I am about to go). For suffixes starting with a consonant, no buffer is needed: Gitmek üzeresin (You are about to go).

2. Imminence ('About to')
It indicates that an action is on the very brink of occurring. While the future tense describes a general future, -mek üzere implies the process is imminent. A common idiomatic use is Görüşmek üzere (See you soon).

3. Purpose and Condition ('In order to')
In formal Turkish, it can replace için to express a goal. Note that when used for purpose, the subject of both clauses must be the same. It often carries a nuance of 'on the condition that,' such as Geri vermek üzere alabilirsin (You can take it on the condition that you give it back).

4. Formal Reference ('As' / 'In accordance with')
A very common formal usage involves üzere following a participle to mean 'as' or 'in the way that.' Examples include Bildiğiniz üzere (As you know) or Belirtildiği üzere (As stated).

5. Fixed Formal Expressions
In academic or news contexts, you will encounter başta ... olmak üzere, which means 'especially' or 'primarily' (literally: 'starting with...').

Examples (6)

  1. Güneş batmak üzere, eve dönmeliyiz.

    The sun is about to set; we must return home.

    Word by Word: Sun to-sink about-to, home-to we-must-return.

    Here, it shows imminence. The sunset is happening right now or will happen in a few minutes.

  2. Otobüs gelmek üzere, çantanı hazırla.

    The bus is about to come, get your bag ready.

    Word by Word: Bus to-come about-to, bag-your prepare.

    A common daily usage showing an immediate event.

  3. Yarın geri getirmek üzere bu kitabı ödünç alabilirsin.

    You can borrow this book on the condition that you bring it back tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow back to-bring about-to this book-acc borrow you-can-take.

    This demonstrates the formal 'condition' usage, common in agreements.

  4. Tam evden çıkmak üzereydim ki telefon çaldı.

    I was just about to leave the house when the phone rang.

    Word by Word: Exactly house-from to-exit about-to-was-I that phone rang.

    Note the use of the past tense -(y)di and the buffer -y- attached to üzere.

  5. Görüşmek üzere!

    See you soon! (Literally: To meet again soon)

    Word by Word: To-meet-each-other about-to!

    This is a very common idiomatic way to say goodbye, implying that the next meeting is imminent or intended.

  6. Başta İstanbul olmak üzere tüm şehirlerde kar yağıyor.

    It is snowing in all cities, especially Istanbul.

    Word by Word: At-the-head Istanbul to-be about-to all cities-in snow is-falling.

    The fixed expression 'başta ... olmak üzere' is used to mean 'especially' or 'starting with'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a conjugated verb instead of the infinitive.

    Gidiyorum üzereyim.
    Gitmek üzereyim.

    In the 'about to' meaning, the word 'üzere' follows the infinitive. You cannot put a present continuous or any other tense before it. Other uses, like 'bildiğiniz üzere', follow different verb forms.

  • Forgetting the buffer 'y' when adding personal endings that start with a vowel.

    Bitmek üzeredim.
    Bitmek üzereydim.

    Since 'üzere' ends in a vowel, you must use the buffer letter -y- before suffixes that begin with a vowel, such as the past tense or first-person endings.

  • Using it for simple daily purposes in casual speech.

    Ekmek almak üzere markete gidiyorum.
    Ekmek almak için markete gidiyorum.

    While grammatically correct, using 'üzere' for simple errands sounds overly formal. Use için for everyday 'in order to' situations.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-mek üzereLevel 5About to and in Order to

Learn This First

To understand '-mek üzere', you first need to be comfortable with the infinitive verb form (-mek/-mak). Since this pattern often acts as a predicate (e.g., 'Tren kalkmak üzere'), you should understand how Turkish nominal sentences (ad cümlesi) work. Finally, knowing the basic 'in order to' construction (-mek için) helps in understanding the formal purpose usage of this pattern.

Words in This Pattern

-mek