Comparison
Turkish Aorist vs Present Continuous
Use present continuous for what is happening now. Use aorist for habits, general truths, and repeated actions.
Example
Turkish
Ben geliyorum.
English: I am coming now.
Turkish
Ben gelirim.
English: I come / I usually come.
Difference
The basic difference
Present continuous tells you what is happening now or around now. Aorist tells you what is usually, generally, or repeatedly true.
| Meaning | Use this form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happening now | Present continuous | Ben geliyorum. | I am coming now. |
| Habit | Aorist | Ben gelirim. | I usually come. |
| Current period | Present continuous | Bu hafta calisiyorum. | I am working this week. |
| General truth | Aorist | Su kaynar. | Water boils. |
| Repeated action | Aorist | Her gun okurum. | I read every day. |
Aorist
Use present continuous when...
The action is happening now or belongs to the current situation.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ben simdi yemek yiyorum. | I am eating now. |
| Biz bu hafta cok calisiyoruz. | We are working a lot this week. |
| O su anda geliyor. | He/she is coming right now. |
Present Continuous
Use aorist when...
The action is a habit, pattern, general truth, or usual behavior.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ben her sabah kahve icerim. | I drink coffee every morning. |
| Biz hafta sonlari yururuz. | We walk on weekends. |
| Su kaynar. | Water boils. |
Watch out
Common mistake
English learners often see present and choose present continuous too often.
Choose by meaning, not just by the label present. Turkish forces a clearer choice.
Do not ask only Is this present? Ask:
Is it happening now, or is it generally true?
- Happening now: geliyorum
- Usually true: gelirim
Examples in real sentences
Examples in real sentences
Compare the meaning first, then notice which Turkish form fits.
| Cue | Turkish | Best choice |
|---|---|---|
| I am getting on the metro now. | Su anda metroya biniyorum. | Present continuous |
| I take the metro every morning. | Her sabah metroya binerim. | Aorist |
| We are working from home today. | Bugun evden calisiyoruz. | Present continuous |
| We usually work from the office. | Genelde ofisten calisiriz. | Aorist |
| He/she is replying to a message right now. | O simdi mesaja cevap veriyor. | Present continuous |
| He/she replies quickly. | O hizli cevap verir. | Aorist |
| The phone is charging slowly. | Telefon yavas sarj oluyor. | Present continuous |
| This app works offline. | Bu uygulama cevrimdisi calisir. | Aorist |
Related topics
Practice