-iyor

Present Continuous

Level 1

The -iyor suffix is the Turkish equivalent of the English '-ing' form (Present Continuous). It is used for things happening at this moment, current trends, and even scheduled future plans.

How It Works

The -iyor tense is the most common way to talk about the present in Turkish.

1. Formation:
If the verb stem ends in a consonant, you add a connecting vowel (ı, i, u, ü) before the -yor suffix:

Gel- (to come) → Geliyor (He/she is coming)
Bak- (to look) → Bakıyor (He/she is looking)
Oku- (to read) → Okuyor (He/she is reading - no connecting vowel needed as it ends in a vowel)

2. Vowel Narrowing:
If a verb stem ends in -a or -e, that vowel is narrowed to a high vowel (ı, i, u, ü) to match harmony:

Bekle- → Bekliyor (Waiting)
Başla- → Başlıyor (Starting)
Special cases: demek and yemek also narrow (diyor, yiyor).

3. Consonant Change (t → d):
In a few common verbs ending in -t, the 't' changes to 'd' when the -iyor suffix (which starts with a vowel) is added. This is explained in t becomes d in gitmek and etmek:

Git- → Gidiyor (He/she is going)
Et- → Ediyor (He/she is doing)
Tat- → Tadıyor (He/she is tasting)

4. Negation:
To make the verb negative, we use the negative suffix -me/-ma. However, because of the following -yor suffix, this vowel always narrows to -mı, -mi, -mu, or -mü. This is why we see the -miyor form:

Gelmiyor (He/she is not coming)
Bakmıyor (He/she is not looking)

5. Person Endings:
To say 'I am' or 'you are', add person endings after -yor:

Geliyorum (I am coming)
Geliyorsun (You are coming)

6. Usage:

Right now: 'Şu an çalışıyorum' (I am working right now).
Habitual actions: In casual speech, it often replaces the aorist for habits: 'Her gün koşuyorum' (I run every day).
Future plans: 'Yarın geliyorum' (I am coming tomorrow).
Stative verbs: Unlike English, Turkish uses -iyor for 'knowing' or 'loving': 'Seni seviyorum' (I love you).

Examples (5)

Şu an kitap okuyorum.
I am reading a book right now.
Word by Word: Right moment book I-am-reading.
Uses the first-person ending -iyorum to show the action is happening currently.
Dışarıda yağmur yağıyor.
It is raining outside.
Word by Word: Outside rain it-is-raining.
The verb 'yağmak' (to rain/snow) takes the buffer vowel 'ı' to become 'yağıyor'.
Yarın sinemaya gidiyoruz.
We are going to the cinema tomorrow.
Word by Word: Tomorrow cinema-to we-are-going.
Demonstrates the use of -iyor for a planned future event and the t to d change in 'gitmek'.
Seni çok seviyorum.
I love you very much.
Word by Word: You (acc.) very I-am-loving.
In Turkish, 'loving' is treated as an ongoing state using the continuous tense.
Annem mutfakta yemek pişiriyor.
My mother is cooking food in the kitchen.
Word by Word: My-mother kitchen-in food she-is-cooking.
A standard description of an action happening at the moment of speaking.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting vowel narrowing for stems ending in -a or -e.
başlayor
başlıyor
When a verb ends in -a or -e, that vowel undergoes narrowing to become ı, i, u, or ü before adding the -iyor suffix.
Using the wrong connecting vowel (ignoring harmony).
bakiyor
bakıyor
The connecting vowel must follow four-way vowel harmony. Since 'bak' has an 'a', the connecting vowel must be 'ı'.
Forgetting the t to d mutation in common verbs.
gitiyor
gidiyor
The verbs gitmek and etmek undergo consonant softening where the 't' becomes 'd' before the suffix.

How It Connects

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-iyorLevel 1Present Continuous

Learn This First

To learn the Present Continuous tense, you need to understand how four-way vowel harmony determines the vowel preceding the -iyor suffix. You also need to be aware of consonant changes that occur in common verb stems and how to structure a basic sentence with the verb at the end.

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