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Turkish Present Continuous Tense

Use the Turkish present continuous tense for actions happening now, around now, or in the current period. In Turkish, this tense usually uses the ending -(i)yor plus a person ending.

Example

Turkish

Ben geliyorum.

English: I am coming.

Meaning

What this tense means

The present continuous tense describes an action in progress. It often matches English sentences like I am going, you are reading, or they are working.

Use cues like now, right now, this week, or for now to spot the ongoing meaning.

Use it when the action is active now or belongs to the current situation.

Use

When to use it

Choose the situation first, then build the ending.

1. Something happening right now

Turkish	English
Ben yemek yiyorum.	I am eating.
Sen beni dinliyorsun.	You are listening to me.

2. Something happening around this time

Turkish	English
Bu hafta cok calisiyorum.	I am working a lot this week.
Biz Turkce ogreniyoruz.	We are learning Turkish.

3. A current plan or movement

Turkish	English
Ben eve gidiyorum.	I am going home.
Onlar simdi geliyorlar.	They are coming now.

4. A current habit in progress

This is still about the current period. For general habits, Turkish often uses the aorist instead.

Turkish	English
Son gunlerde erken kalkiyorum.	These days, I am waking up early.

Build

How to form positive statements

verb stem + -(i)yor + person ending

Pattern

verb stem + -(i)yor + person ending

Use this pattern:

Infinitive	Verb stem	Present continuous
gelmek	gel	geliyorum
gitmek	git	gidiyorum
okumak	oku	okuyorum
calismak	calis	calisiyorum

Some verbs change slightly before -iyor. Follow the conjugated form you see here.

Forms by person

See how this tense looks with the same verb across all persons.

Person	Turkish	English
Ben	geliyorum	I am coming
Sen	geliyorsun	You are coming
O	geliyor	He/she/it is coming
Biz	geliyoruz	We are coming
Siz	geliyorsunuz	You are coming
Onlar	geliyorlar	They are coming

Examples

Examples in real sentences

Read these examples for context. You do not need to memorize every word.

Turkish	English
Su anda toplantiya giriyorum.	I am joining the meeting right now.
Metroda mesaj yaziyorum.	I am writing a message on the metro.
Bugun evden calisiyoruz.	We are working from home today.
Bu hafta erken kalkiyorum.	I am waking up early this week.
Kuryeyi kapida bekliyorum.	I am waiting for the courier at the door.
Annem aksam yemegi hazirliyor.	My mother is preparing dinner.
Telefonum yavas sarj oluyor.	My phone is charging slowly.
Cocuklar bahcede oynuyorlar.	The children are playing in the yard.
Simdilik bu uygulamayi kullaniyorum.	For now, I am using this app.
Biz Turkce konusma pratigi yapiyoruz.	We are practicing Turkish speaking.

Watch out

Common mistakes

These mistakes show up often during practice.

Mistake 1: Using present continuous for every English present sentence

English uses the present in many ways. Turkish separates ongoing actions from general habits.

Use geliyorum for I am coming now. Use the aorist for many general habits, like I usually come early.

Choose by meaning and time cue: happening now uses the present continuous, while usual behavior uses the aorist.

Turkish	English
Ben simdi geliyorum.	I am coming now.
Ben genelde erken gelirim.	I usually come early.

Mistake 2: Forgetting the person ending

Do not stop at geliyor if the subject is ben or sen.

Incorrect: Ben geliyor.

Correct: Ben geliyorum.

Mistake 3: Trying to keep the infinitive ending

Do not attach the tense ending to gelmek.

Incorrect: gelmekiyorum

Correct: geliyorum

Practice

Mini practice

Try it: choose the correct Turkish form.

Prompt	Correct Turkish
I am joining the meeting right now.	Su anda toplantiya giriyorum.
We are working from home today.	Bugun evden calisiyoruz.
The children are playing in the yard.	Cocuklar bahcede oynuyorlar.

Practice present continuous forms

Start with positive statement forms and immediate feedback.

Start practice