-iyor (ünlüyle biten fiil)

Stem Vowel Change Before -iyor

Level 1

In Turkish, verb stems ending in the wide vowels -a or -e must undergo a 'narrowing' (Ünlü Daralması) when the present continuous suffix is attached. The vowel doesn't disappear; it mutates into a high vowel (ı, i, u, ü) to match the sound of the suffix.

How It Works

Turkish phonology prefers a smooth transition between vowels. When the present continuous tense suffix meets a verb stem ending in -a or -e, these 'wide' vowels are squeezed into 'narrow' vowels.

The Rules of Narrowing:
The choice of the new vowel (ı, i, u, or ü) depends on the vowel preceding the final -a/-e in the stem (following four-way vowel harmony):

  • If the stem has a or ı: The final vowel becomes ı (e.g., anla- → anlıyor).
  • If the stem has e or i: The final vowel becomes i (e.g., bekle- → bekliyor).
  • If the stem has o or u: The final vowel becomes u (e.g., kutla- → kutluyor).
  • If the stem has ö or ü: The final vowel becomes ü (e.g., özle- → özlüyor).

Important Exceptions:
The verbs de- (to say) and ye- (to eat) are single-syllable stems that always narrow: de- becomes diyor and ye- becomes yiyor.

Stems Already Ending in Narrow Vowels:
If a verb stem already ends in a narrow vowel (ı, i, u, ü), no narrowing is needed. The suffix -yor is added directly to the stem. For example, oku- becomes okuyor and yürü- becomes yürüyor.

The Negative Suffix:
This rule is most frequently seen with the negative suffix (-ma/-me). Because the negative suffix always ends in -a or -e, it always narrows before -yor.
Example: gel-me-yor → gelmiyor.

Examples (5)

  1. Annem mutfakta yemek hazırlıyor.

    My mother is preparing food in the kitchen.

    Word by Word: My mother in the kitchen food is preparing.

    The stem 'hazırla-' ends in 'a'. Because the preceding vowel is 'ı', the 'a' narrows to 'ı' before '-yor'.

  2. Seni çok özlüyorum.

    I am missing you very much.

    Word by Word: You very I am missing.

    The stem 'özle-' ends in 'e'. Because the preceding vowel is 'ö', the 'e' narrows to 'ü' to match the harmony.

  3. Neden bana cevap vermiyorsun?

    Why aren't you answering me?

    Word by Word: Why to me answer you are not giving?

    The negative suffix '-me' narrows to '-mi' before the '-yor' suffix.

  4. O, her gün piyano çalmayı bekliyor.

    He is waiting to play the piano every day.

    Word by Word: He every day piano to play is waiting.

    The stem 'bekle-' ends in 'e'. Since the preceding vowel is 'e', it narrows to 'i'.

  5. Doğum gününü kutluyoruz.

    We are celebrating your birthday.

    Word by Word: Birth your day we are celebrating.

    The stem 'kutla-' ends in 'a'. Since the preceding vowel is 'u', it narrows to 'u'.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the wide vowel (a/e) in writing.

    Anlayor
    Anlıyor

    Learners often forget to change the final 'a' or 'e'. In Turkish, this narrowing is mandatory in both speech and writing.

  • Using the wrong harmony for the narrowed vowel.

    Özliyor
    Özlüyor

    You must look at the vowel before the final 'a/e' to decide if it becomes ı, i, u, or ü. Since 'özle-' has an 'ö', the narrowed vowel must be 'ü'.

  • Forgetting narrowing in the negative form.

    Gelmeyor
    Gelmiyor

    The negative suffix -ma/-me always narrows before -yor. Writing 'gelmeyor' is a common spelling error.

How It Connects

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

-iyor (ünlüyle biten fiil)Level 1Stem Vowel Change Before -iyor

Learn This First

To understand why stem vowels change before the -iyor suffix, you first need to be familiar with the basic present continuous tense and the rules of four-way vowel harmony, which dictate how vowels shift to match the suffix.

Words in This Pattern

-iyor