demek / yemek
The Verbs Demek and Yemek
While all verbs ending in 'e' narrow to 'i' in the present continuous (like bekliyor), demek and yemek are the only verbs that also show this change in writing before the buffer letter y in the future tense and other forms.
How It Works
In Turkish, vowel narrowing (ünlü daralması) happens to all verbs ending in 'a' or 'e' when adding -iyor. However, demek and yemek are special because they are the only verbs where this narrowing is reflected in formal writing before the buffer y.
While many verbs narrow in speech (e.g., bekleyecek is often pronounced as bekliyecek), only demek and yemek are written with an 'i':
- Future Tense: The 'e' changes to 'i' before -ecek.
de- + y + ecek → diyecek (He/she will say)
ye- + y + ecek → yiyecek (He/she will eat) - Participles and Gerunds: Narrowing occurs with -en and -erek.
de- + y + en → diyen (the one saying)
ye- + y + erek → yiyerek (by eating) - Spelling Differences: According to TDK rules, demek retains the 'e' in deyince and deyip. However, yemek always narrows: yiyince and yiyip.
- Common Words: The word diye (saying/so that) and the question word niye (why, from ne + y + e) are both results of this narrowing rule.
- The Aorist: In the aorist tense, these stems do not narrow; they simply take '-r' to become der and yer.
Examples (5)
- Annem mutfakta elma yiyor.
My mother is eating an apple in the kitchen.
Word by Word: My mother in-the-kitchen apple is-eating.
The stem 'ye-' narrows to 'yi-' before the '-iyor' suffix.
- Ali "Merhaba" dedi.
Ali said "Hello".
Word by Word: Ali "Hello" said.
In the past tense, no 'y' or '-iyor' is present, so the stem remains 'de-'.
- Bu kelime ne demek?
What does this word mean?
Word by Word: This word what to-say/mean?
'Demek' is the standard verb used to ask for definitions or meanings.
- Yarın ne yiyeceksin?
What will you eat tomorrow?
Word by Word: Tomorrow what will-you-eat?
The stem 'ye-' narrows to 'yi-' because of the buffer 'y' in the future tense.
- Bana "Gel" diye bağırdı.
He shouted "Come" to me.
Word by Word: To-me "Come" saying he-shouted.
'Diye' is the narrowed form of 'de-' used to link a quote to a verb of action.
Common Mistakes
Writing 'deyor' or 'yeyor' instead of 'diyor' and 'yiyor'.
O ne deyor?O ne diyor?Learners often forget to narrow the vowel. In standard Turkish, 'e' must become 'i' before '-iyor' for these two verbs.
Using 'demek' where 'söylemek' sounds more natural for reported speech.
Bana geleceğini dedi.Bana geleceğini söyledi.'Demek' is mostly used for exact words in quotes. To report that someone said they would come, 'söylemek' is the more natural choice.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The verbs 'demek' (to say) and 'yemek' (to eat) are unique in Turkish because their stem vowels change from 'e' to 'i' when followed by the present continuous suffix -iyor. To understand this, you need to be familiar with the general rules for verb stems ending in vowels and how the present continuous tense is formed.
- -iyor (ünlüyle biten fiil)Stem Vowel Change Before -iyor
The verbs 'demek' and 'yemek' undergo a specific vowel change when the -iyor suffix is added, which is a specialized case of the general rule for stems ending in vowels.
Level 1 - -iyorum / -iyorsunPresent Continuous Person Endings
Understanding how to conjugate the present continuous tense is necessary to apply the vowel changes seen in 'diyorum' and 'yiyorum'.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- -iyorPresent Continuous
The present continuous tense is the most common trigger for the narrowing of 'de-' and 'ye-'.
Level 1 - -y-Buffer Consonant -y-
The buffer letter 'y' triggers the narrowing of these verb stems in the future tense and other forms.
Level 1 - demek / söylemekDemek or Söylemek?
Explains the nuanced difference between 'saying' a quote and 'telling' information.
Level 3 - diyeSaying and Thinking with Diye
A deep dive into the many uses of the narrowed form 'diye'.
Level 3 - -(y)ecek/-(y)acakFuture Tense
The future tense suffix which requires a buffer 'y', causing 'de-' and 'ye-' to narrow.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice demek / yemek in Bubblegum
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