-mek istemek

Wanting to Do Something

Level 1

Verb Stem + -mek/-mak + istemek (conjugated)

How It Works

To express a desire to perform an action, Turkish uses the infinitive form of the verb followed by the verb istemek (to want).

1. Formation:
The infinitive suffix follows two-way vowel harmony:

  • Use -mak if the last vowel of the verb stem is a back vowel (a, ı, o, u). Example: bakmak (to look).
  • Use -mek if the last vowel of the verb stem is a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü). Example: gelmek (to come).

2. Conjugation:
The infinitive itself remains in the 'bare' or nominative form. The verb istemek is the part that changes to show tense and person:

3. Negating the Desire:
You can negate the sentence in two ways:

  • Not wanting to do: Negate istemek (e.g., Gitmek istemiyorum - I don't want to go).
  • Wanting not to do: Negate the infinitive using -me/-ma before the infinitive suffix (e.g., Gitmemek istiyorum - I want not to go / I prefer not to go).

4. Important Rule:
This pattern is only for same-subject desires. If you want someone else to do something, you must use the -mesini istemek pattern instead.

5. The Accusative Exception:
While the infinitive is usually bare, if you place an adverb like çok (very) or hiç (at all) between the two verbs, the infinitive often takes the accusative case (e.g., Gitmeyi çok istiyorum). The bare form is also fine: Gitmek çok istiyorum.

Examples (5)

  1. Tatile gitmek istiyoruz.

    We want to go on holiday.

    Word by Word: Holiday-to to go we want.

    Here, 'gitmek' is the infinitive and 'istiyoruz' is conjugated for 'we' in the present continuous.

  2. Bu akşam dışarı çıkmak istemiyorum.

    I don't want to go out this evening.

    Word by Word: This evening outside to go out I do not want.

    The negative form is created by making 'istemek' negative: 'istemiyorum'.

  3. Biraz uyumak ister misin?

    Would you like to sleep a little?

    Word by Word: A little to sleep do you want?

    Using the aorist tense (ister misin) makes the request or question sound more polite.

  4. Yeni bir araba almak istedim.

    I wanted to buy a new car.

    Word by Word: New one car to buy I wanted.

    The past tense suffix -di is attached to 'istemek' to show a past desire.

  5. Türkçe öğrenmek istiyorum.

    I want to learn Turkish.

    Word by Word: Turkish to learn I want.

    A very common use of the pattern for expressing goals.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the infinitive for different subjects.

    Ben senin gitmek istiyorum.
    Ben senin gitmeni istiyorum.

    If you want someone else to do the action, you cannot use the bare infinitive. You must use the possessive-marked infinitive pattern.

  • Adding the accusative suffix straight onto -mek.

    Gezmeki hiç istemiyorum.
    Gezmeyi hiç istemiyorum.

    When the infinitive takes the accusative, -mek becomes -me- first and then -yi: gezmeyi, not gezmeki. The bare form 'Gezmek hiç istemiyorum' is also correct.

How It Connects

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

-mek istemekLevel 1Wanting to Do Something

Learn This First

To express what you want to do in Turkish, you combine a verb in its infinitive form (-mek/-mak) with the verb 'istemek' (to want). You need to know how to form the infinitive and how to conjugate 'istemek' using standard person endings, typically in the present continuous tense.

Words in This Pattern

istemek-mek