önce / sonra (zarf)

First and Then

Level 3

In Turkish, when you want to list actions in order, you use önce (first) and sonra (then/afterwards). These words act as independent markers to guide the listener through a sequence of events.

How It Works

The words önce and sonra are fundamental for sequencing events and giving instructions.

  • Önce: As a standalone adverb, it means 'first' or 'initially.'
  • Sonra: As a standalone adverb, it means 'then,' 'afterwards,' or 'later.'

Key Usage Rules:
1. No Case Markers for Sequencing: For simple sequencing (First X, then Y), do not use the ablative case on the preceding noun. Önce kahvaltı, sonra iş (First breakfast, then work).
2. Pronouns and Nouns: When used as postpositions meaning 'before/after [someone/something]', the preceding word must take the ablative case. For example: benden önce (before me), okuldan sonra (after school).
3. Time Intervals: A bare time duration + önce means 'ago' (e.g., üç gün önce - three days ago). Adding the ablative case changes the meaning to 'earlier than' (e.g., üç günden önce - earlier than three days).
4. Verbal Suffixes: Use -meden önce (before doing) and -dikten sonra (after doing). Note that -meden here does not make the meaning negative; gitmeden önce means 'before going.' Also, remember consonant assimilation: the 'd' in -dikten becomes 't' after hard consonants (e.g., gittikten sonra).
5. Suffixes Change Meaning: Önceden means 'beforehand/previously.' Sonradan often implies a late realization (e.g., 'I realized it later on').

Examples (5)

  1. Önce ödevimi bitirdim, sonra televizyon izledim.

    First I finished my homework, then I watched television.

    Word by Word: First my-homework I-finished, then television I-watched.

    This shows a clear sequence of two completed actions in the past.

  2. Önce ellerini yıka, sonra sofraya otur.

    First wash your hands, then sit at the table.

    Word by Word: First your-hands wash, then to-the-table sit.

    Here, the adverbs are used with commands to give step-by-step instructions.

  3. İki saat sonra buluşalım.

    Let's meet two hours later.

    Word by Word: Two hour later let-us-meet.

    When preceded by a time interval, 'sonra' functions as 'later' or 'afterwards'.

  4. Önce biraz dinlenelim, sonra konuşuruz.

    First let's rest a bit, then we will talk.

    Word by Word: First a-little let-us-rest, then we-talk.

    This uses the aorist tense for a future intention.

  5. Geleceğim sonra.

    I will come later.

    Word by Word: I-will-come later.

    In casual speech, 'sonra' can be placed at the end of a sentence to mean 'later'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative case for personal pronouns before önce/sonra.

    Sen önce geldim.
    Senden önce geldim.

    When using personal pronouns with these words to mean 'before/after me/you', the pronoun must take the ablative case.

  • Confusing 'ago' with 'earlier than' when using time durations.

    İki günden önce Ankara'daydım.
    İki gün önce Ankara'daydım.

    To say 'two days ago', use the bare noun: 'iki gün önce'. If you add the ablative case to the duration ('iki günden önce'), it means 'earlier than two days' or 'before two days have passed'.

  • Forgetting consonant assimilation in the -dikten sonra suffix.

    İşten çıkdikten sonra aradım.
    İşten çıktıktan sonra aradım.

    When using -dikten sonra, the 'd' must change to 't' if the verb stem ends in a hard consonant (like 'ç', 'k', 'p', 's', 'ş', 't'), following the rules of consonant assimilation.

How It Connects

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

önce / sonra (zarf)Level 3First and Then

Learn This First

To understand 'önce' and 'sonra' as adverbs (meaning 'first' and 'then'), you need to know basic Turkish sentence structure and common verb tenses like the simple past to describe a sequence of actions. It is also helpful to be familiar with basic time-related vocabulary.

Words in This Pattern

öncesonra