bugün / yarın / şimdi
Everyday Time Words
Dün = Yesterday
Bugün = Today
Yarın = Tomorrow
Şimdi = Now
How It Works
In Turkish, basic time adverbs are essential for placing your sentences in time. Here is how to use them effectively:
- Dün (Yesterday): Used to refer to the previous day. It is almost always used with the past tense.
- Bugün (Today): A compound of bu (this) and gün (day).
- Yarın (Tomorrow): Refers to the day after today. In Turkish, we often use the present continuous tense with yarın to talk about planned future events.
- Şimdi (Now): Means 'at this moment.' While it can be used with the past tense to mean 'just now,' the expression az önce is the standard way to express 'a moment ago.' In contrast, birazdan means 'in a bit' or 'soon.'
Adjective Form with -ki:
You can turn these words into adjectives by adding the suffix -ki. For example, yarınki toplantı (tomorrow's meeting). Note that -ki normally never changes (yarınki), but after bugün and dün it becomes -kü: bugünkü and dünkü.
Word Order: These words usually appear at the beginning of the sentence or right before the verb to provide focus.
Examples (6)
- Dün çok yorgundum.
I was very tired yesterday.
Word by Word: Yesterday very tired-was-I.
'Dün' is used with the past tense to describe a state or action that happened yesterday.
- Bugün çok meşgulüm.
I am very busy today.
Word by Word: Today very busy-I-am.
Here, 'bugün' sets the time for a state of being in an adjective sentence.
- Yarın sinemaya gidiyoruz.
We are going to the cinema tomorrow.
Word by Word: Tomorrow cinema-to we-are-going.
Notice the use of the present continuous with 'yarın' to describe a plan.
- Şimdi yemek yiyorum.
I am eating now.
Word by Word: Now food I-am-eating.
'Şimdi' is used here to describe an action happening at this exact moment.
- Bugünkü gazete nerede?
Where is today's newspaper?
Word by Word: Today-adj newspaper where?
The suffix -ki turns time words into adjectives. Note that 'bugün' and 'dün' take the form '-kü' (bugünkü, dünkü).
- Yarın hava nasıl?
How is the weather tomorrow?
Word by Word: Tomorrow weather how?
A common way to ask about future conditions using 'yarın' and the question word nasıl.
Common Mistakes
Adding the locative suffix -de/-da (meaning 'on' or 'in') to these time words.
Bugünde geliyorum.Bugün geliyorum.English speakers often try to translate 'On today' literally. In Turkish, time adverbs like 'bugün' and 'yarın' do not take the locative suffix when used as adverbs.
Using 'şimdi' when you mean 'anymore' or 'from now on'.
Şimdi sigara içmiyorum.Artık sigara içmiyorum.If you want to say you have stopped a habit, use 'artık'. 'Şimdi' only means you aren't smoking at this specific moment.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use everyday time words like 'today' and 'tomorrow', you need to understand basic sentence structure and the Present Continuous tense, as these words typically modify the timing of an action or state.
Related Patterns
- Days and Months
Once you know 'today' and 'yesterday', you should learn the specific names of the days of the week.
Level 2 - ne zamanWhen
This is the question word ('when') used to ask for time words like 'dün' or 'yarın'.
Level 1 - az önce / birazdanJust Now and in a Moment
'Az önce' refers to the recent past (just now), while 'birazdan' refers to the near future (in a bit).
Level 2 - -kiThe Suffix -ki
This suffix is used to turn these time adverbs into adjectives, like 'bugünkü' (today's).
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice bugün / yarın / şimdi in Bubblegum
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