-ir/-er/-r (geniş zaman)

The Aorist Tense

Level 3

The Aorist (Geniş Zaman) is the 'broad' tense. It covers things that are always true, things you do regularly, and polite offers or requests.

How It Works

The Aorist is formed by adding -r, -ar/-er, or -ır/-ir/-ur/-ür to the verb stem. Its usage is divided into several key areas:

1. General Truths & Habits
Used for scientific facts or things that happen regularly.
Example: Güneş doğudan doğar. (The sun rises from the east.)

2. Polite Requests & Offers
In question form, it is the standard way to be polite.
Example: Pencereyi açar mısın? (Would you open the window?)

3. Spontaneous Willingness
Used when you decide to do something at the moment of speaking.
Example: Ben yaparım! (I'll do it!)

Morphology Rules:

  • Vowel-ending stems: Add -r (e.g., oku-r).
  • Single-syllable consonant stems: Usually add -ar/-er (e.g., yap-ar).
  • Multi-syllable consonant stems: Add -ır/-ir/-ur/-ür based on four-way vowel harmony (e.g., konuş-ur).

Negative Form:
The negative is formed with -mez/-maz. Note that the 'z' drops in the first person:

  • 1st Person: gel-me-m (I don't come), gel-me-yiz (We don't come).
  • Other Persons: gel-mez-sin, gel-mez, gel-mez-siniz, gel-mez-ler.

The 13 Exceptions:
Thirteen common one-syllable verbs take the multi-syllable ending (-ir etc.) instead of -er. These include: al-, bil-, bul-, dur-, gel-, gör-, kal-, ol-, öl-, san-, var-, ver-, vur- (e.g., gelir, not geler).

Examples (5)

  1. Her sabah çay içerim.

    I drink tea every morning.

    Word by Word: Every morning tea I-drink.

    This shows a habit. The verb 'içmek' is a single-syllable stem, so it takes -er.

  2. Bana yardım eder misin?

    Would you help me?

    Word by Word: To-me help do you-Aorist-question?

    This is a polite request using the Aorist question form.

  3. Su yüz derecede kaynar.

    Water boils at 100 degrees.

    Word by Word: Water hundred degree-at boils.

    This expresses a general scientific truth.

  4. Kapıyı ben açarım.

    I'll open the door.

    Word by Word: Door-acc I open-Aorist.

    This shows spontaneous willingness to act right now.

  5. O her şeyi bilir.

    He knows everything.

    Word by Word: He every thing-acc knows.

    'Bilmek' is one of the 13 exceptions; even though it is one syllable, it takes -ir instead of -er.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Aorist for actions happening right now.

    Şu an kitap okurum.
    Şu an kitap okuyorum.

    The Aorist is for habits or generalities. For an action in progress 'right now', use the present continuous.

  • Incorrectly conjugating the 13 exceptions.

    O buraya her gün geler.
    O buraya her gün gelir.

    The verb 'gelmek' is an exception. It must take -ir, not -er.

  • Keeping the 'z' in the first person negative.

    Ben süt içmezim.
    Ben süt içmem.

    In the negative Aorist, the 'z' drops for 'I' (ben) and 'We' (biz) forms.

How It Connects

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-ir/-er/-r (geniş zaman)Level 3The Aorist Tense

Learn This First

To learn the Aorist tense, you need to understand how to identify verb stems from the infinitive and apply complex vowel harmony rules, as the suffix changes based on the number of syllables and the final vowel of the stem. Additionally, you must be familiar with standard personal endings used in verb conjugation.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-er-r