Present Tense
Aorist or -yor? Choose the situation first
This page is not meant to be a long grammar essay. It is a decision board: are you talking about right now, or about habits, general truths, and abilities?
Quick Glance
Right now
geliyorum
-yor
Habit / fact
gelirim
Aorist
Decision Panel
Choose by meaning, not by appearance
The first question is not what the ending looks like. It is what kind of statement you are making.
For habits and general statements
- Things someone usually does
- General truths
- Abilities
gelirim
For right now and ongoing situations
- What is happening right now
- Temporary situations
- Processes in progress
geliyorum
Build It
Build `-yor` step by step
The pattern is stable: stem + harmony vowel + `yor` + person. The first vowel follows the verb ending harmony rules.
Step 1
gelmek → gel
Step 2
gel → geliyor
Step 3
geliyor → geliyorum
Harmony reminder
The first vowel in `-yor` depends on vowel harmony.
Reference
The aorist needs real verb examples
The aorist is productive, but it is not always something you want to reduce to one tiny rule. Use real verbs as the source of truth.
Rule of thumb
Use the aorist for routines, general truths, and abilities. When the exact form matters, open the verb page.
Watch Out
Three mistakes almost everyone makes
The most common issues come from choosing the wrong meaning or from sloppy vowel harmony.
Using `-yor` for a habit
Her gun kahve iciyorum → Her gun kahve icerim
Dropping the harmony vowel
gelyorum → geliyorum
Half-remembering an aorist form
If you are unsure, use the verb page or the drill instead of guessing.
Interactive practice
Test the decision immediately in the drill
Jump into the conjugation trainer and check whether you can separate `-yor` and the aorist in real forms.