Gelecek zaman
Turkish Future Tense
Use the Turkish future tense for actions that will happen later. This tense usually uses -(y)acak or -(y)ecek plus a person ending.
Example
Turkish
Ben gelecegim.
English: I will come.
Meaning
What this tense means
The future tense describes something expected, planned, or intended to happen after now.
It often matches English sentences like I will go, you will read, we will work, or they will come.
Future meaning usually comes with cues like tomorrow, soon, this evening, or next week.
Use
When to use it
Choose the situation first, then build the ending.
1. A future action
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ben yarin gelecegim. | I will come tomorrow. |
| O sonra arayacak. | He/she will call later. |
2. A plan or intention
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Biz hafta sonu calisacagiz. | We will work at the weekend. |
| Ben Turkce ogrenecegim. | I will learn Turkish. |
3. A prediction
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Bugun yagmur yagacak. | It will rain today. |
| Onlar yakinda gelecekler. | They will come soon. |
Build
How to form positive statements
verb stem + -(y)AcAk + person ending
Pattern
verb stem + -(y)AcAk + person ending
Use this pattern:
The form appears as acak or ecek by vowel harmony.
A buffer y can appear after vowel-final stems.
| Infinitive | Verb stem | Future |
|---|---|---|
| gelmek | gel | gelecegim |
| gitmek | git | gidecegim |
| okumak | oku | okuyacagim |
| calismak | calis | calisacagim |
Some future forms change k to g before a vowel-initial person ending: gelecek + im -> gelecegim.
Forms by person
See how this tense looks with the same verb across all persons.
| Person | Turkish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | geleceğim | I will come |
| Sen | geleceksin | You will come |
| O | gelecek | He/she/it will come |
| Biz | geleceğiz | We will come |
| Siz | geleceksiniz | You will come |
| Onlar | gelecekler | They will come |
Examples
Examples in real sentences
Read these examples for context. You do not need to memorize every word.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Birazdan seni arayacagim. | I will call you shortly. |
| Aksam markete ugrayacagim. | I will stop by the market this evening. |
| Yarin raporu gonderecegim. | I will send the report tomorrow. |
| Biz cuma gunu yola cikacagiz. | We will set off on Friday. |
| O toplantidan sonra donecek. | He/she will return after the meeting. |
| Siz hafta sonu dinleneceksiniz. | You will rest at the weekend. |
| Onlar gelecek ay tasinacaklar. | They will move next month. |
| Telefonum birazdan kapanacak. | My phone will shut down soon. |
| Bu aksam erken yatacagim. | I will go to bed early tonight. |
| Biz yarin yeni konuyu ogrenecegiz. | We will learn the new topic tomorrow. |
Watch out
Common mistakes
These mistakes show up often during practice.
Mistake 1: Forgetting buffer y
When the verb stem ends in a vowel, Turkish may need y before the future ending.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Okuyacagim. | I will read. |
Mistake 2: Missing k -> g in some forms
Before some person endings, final k becomes g.
gelecek + im -> gelecegim
Incorrect: gelecekim
Correct: gelecegim
Mistake 3: Using present continuous for future meaning too broadly
Turkish can sometimes use present continuous for planned movement, but on these pages future meaning is taught with the future tense.
For I will come tomorrow, use:
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ben yarin gelecegim. | I will come tomorrow. |
Practice
Mini practice
Try it: choose the correct Turkish form.
| Prompt | Correct Turkish |
|---|---|
| I will call you shortly. | Birazdan seni arayacagim. |
| We will set off on Friday. | Biz cuma gunu yola cikacagiz. |
| My phone will shut down soon. | Telefonum birazdan kapanacak. |
Related topics
Practice
Practice future tense forms
Start with positive statement forms and immediate feedback.