-meye çalışmak / devam etmek

Try to and Carry on

Level 4

Verb Stem + -mA + -y + -A + çalışmak / devam etmek

How It Works

This pattern is essential for expressing effort and persistence. It consists of three parts:

1. The Short Infinitive: The verb stem receives -ma or -me based on two-way vowel harmony.
2. The Buffer: Because the infinitive ends in a vowel and the case suffix begins with one, a buffer -y- is always used.
3. The Dative Case: The dative case (-a/-e) is attached because the auxiliary verbs çalışmak and devam etmek 'govern' (require) this case.

Nuance: çalışmak vs. denemek
Use çalışmak when you are making an effort or struggling to achieve something (e.g., trying to learn a language). Use denemek (which takes the accusative case) when you are testing something to see if it works or if you like it (e.g., trying a new food).

Nuance: devam etmek
This is the standard way to say 'keep doing' or 'continue.' It implies the action was already happening and is now persisting.

Examples (5)

  1. Seni anlamaya çalışıyorum.

    I am trying to understand you.

    Word by Word: You-acc understand-to I-am-working.

    Here, 'anlamak' becomes 'anlamaya' to serve as the object of 'çalışıyorum'.

  2. Lütfen anlatmaya devam et.

    Please continue explaining.

    Word by Word: Please explain-to continue do.

    The verb 'anlatmak' (to explain) takes the dative suffix to work with 'devam et'.

  3. Sigarayı bırakmaya çalıştım ama yapamadım.

    I tried to quit smoking but I couldn't do it.

    Word by Word: Cigarette-acc leave-to I-worked but I-could-not-do.

    This shows 'çalışmak' used in the past tense to describe a failed effort.

  4. Yağmura rağmen yürümeye devam ettik.

    We continued to walk despite the rain.

    Word by Word: Rain-dat despite walk-to continue we-did.

    The action 'yürümek' is put into the dative form 'yürümeye' to follow 'devam etmek'.

  5. Türkçe öğrenmeye çalışıyoruz.

    We are trying to learn Turkish.

    Word by Word: Turkish learn-to we-are-working.

    Learning a language involves effort, so 'çalışmak' is the natural choice here.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the full infinitive (-mAk) instead of the dative form.

    Gitmek çalışıyorum.
    Gitmeye çalışıyorum.

    'Çalışmak' takes the dative form of the verb (-yA), so it needs 'gitmeye', not 'gitmek'. Some verbs, like 'istemek', do take the plain infinitive (Gitmek istiyorum).

  • Using 'çalışmak' for testing or tasting.

    Bu yemeği yemeye çalıştım.
    Bu yemeği yemeyi denedim.

    If you mean 'I tried the food (to see if it's good),' use 'denemek' with the accusative. 'Yemeye çalıştım' implies you struggled to eat it (perhaps it was too much or you were ill).

  • Forgetting the buffer 'y'.

    Okumaa çalışıyorum.
    Okumaya çalışıyorum.

    When adding the dative '-a' to the short infinitive '-ma', you must use the buffer '-y-' to separate the two vowels.

How It Connects

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

-meye çalışmak / devam etmekLevel 4Try to and Carry on

Learn This First

To understand this pattern, you need to know how to form verbal nouns using the short infinitive (-me/-ma). You must also understand the Dative case (-(y)e) because both 'çalışmak' (to try/work at) and 'devam etmek' (to continue with) govern the dative case. Finally, knowledge of the buffer consonant -y- is essential for connecting these two components.

Words in This Pattern

çalışmakdevam etmek