-maktadır (haber dili)

-makta in News and Academic Writing

Level 6

The -maktadır construction is the formal equivalent of the everyday present continuous. It is used to report ongoing actions, trends, or general truths in a high-register, authoritative tone.

How It Works

In Turkish, register is a key component of communication. While -iyor is the standard, neutral present continuous for all spoken contexts and general writing, -maktadır is an elevated form reserved for haber dili (news language), academic papers, and official reports.

1. Morphological Structure:
The suffix follows two-way vowel harmony for the infinitive part. Because the infinitive ends in the voiceless consonant 'k', consonant assimilation changes the locative -da/-de to -ta/-te. The final copula -dır follows four-way vowel harmony, but since it always follows -ta or -te, only -dır and -dir are possible:

  • -maktadır: Used after back vowels (a, ı, o, u). Example: yap-mak-ta-dır.
  • -mektedir: Used after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü). Example: gel-mek-te-dir.

2. Negation and Questions:

  • Negative: Formed by adding the negative suffix before the infinitive: yap-ma-mak-ta-dır (is not doing) or gel-me-mek-te-dir (is not coming).
  • Question: Formed by placing the question word after the locative, followed by the copula: yapmakta mıdır? or gelmekte midir?.

3. Usage Contexts:

  • News Reporting: Used to describe current events or economic trends objectively (e.g., 'Enflasyon yükselmektedir'). Note that in headlines, the -dır is often dropped for brevity (e.g., 'Enflasyon yükselmekte').
  • Academic Writing: Used to state findings or the purpose of a study (e.g., 'Bu çalışma ... incelemektedir').
  • Official Documents: Used in government announcements or bureaucratic correspondence (e.g., 'Başvurular kabul edilmektedir').

4. Nuance and Person:
Unlike the direct and personal feel of -iyor, -maktadır creates a sense of distance, presenting information as an objective, ongoing fact. While the third-person is most frequent, personal endings can be attached in formal speeches to sound more authoritative (e.g., çalışmaktayım - 'I am [in the state of] working').

Examples (4)

  1. Türkiye ekonomisi son yıllarda hızla büyümektedir.

    The Turkish economy has been growing rapidly in recent years.

    Word by Word: Turkey economy last years-in rapidly grow-ing-is.

    This is a typical news headline or economic report sentence using the formal register.

  2. Bu makale, dil eğitimindeki yeni yöntemleri tartışmaktadır.

    This article discusses new methods in language education.

    Word by Word: This article, language education-in-which new methods-acc discuss-ing-is.

    Commonly used in academic abstracts to define the scope of a paper.

  3. Şirketimiz, müşteri memnuniyetine büyük önem vermektedir.

    Our company gives great importance to customer satisfaction.

    Word by Word: Company-our, customer satisfaction-to great importance give-ing-is.

    Used in corporate mission statements or official company announcements.

  4. Hava sıcaklıkları mevsim normallerinin üzerinde seyretmektedir.

    Air temperatures are following a course above seasonal norms.

    Word by Word: Air temperatures season norms-of above-its-at course-ing-is.

    A classic phrase used in formal weather reports on television news.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -maktadır in casual daily conversation.

    Anne, ben şimdi yemek yemekteyim.
    Anne, ben şimdi yemek yiyorum.

    Using the formal suffix with your mother sounds unnaturally stiff and robotic. Stick to -iyor for daily life.

  • Using the plain present continuous negative in a formal report.

    Şirket bu yıl kâr etmiyor.
    Şirket bu yıl kâr etmemektedir.

    Both are grammatically correct. In a formal report or news context, the negative form can also use the -maktadır structure to keep the formal register.

How It Connects

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

-maktadır (haber dili)Level 6-makta in News and Academic Writing

Learn This First

The -maktadır pattern is a formal version of the present continuous tense. To understand it, you need to know how to form the infinitive (-mek/-mak), how the locative case (-de/-da) functions to show state, and how the formal copula (-dır) is used in written Turkish to provide an objective tone.