Gorulen gecmis zaman
Turkish Simple Past Tense
Use the Turkish simple past tense for past actions that are presented as direct, known, or witnessed. This tense usually uses -di, with vowel harmony and d/t spelling changes.
Example
Turkish
Ben geldim.
English: I came.
Meaning
What this tense means
The simple past tense describes something that happened in the past. It is the normal form when the speaker treats the event as known, direct, or personally observed.
It often matches English sentences like I came, you saw, we ate, or they worked.
Use this tense for completed past events that the speaker presents as direct or known.
Use
When to use it
Choose the situation first, then build the ending.
1. A completed past action
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ben dun geldim. | I came yesterday. |
| O kitabi okudu. | He/she read the book. |
2. Something you directly experienced
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Biz filmi gorduk. | We saw the movie. |
| Ben kahve ictim. | I drank coffee. |
3. A past event in a clear time frame
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Sen gecen hafta calistin. | You worked last week. |
| Onlar sabah gittiler. | They went in the morning. |
Build
How to form positive statements
verb stem + -DI + person ending
Pattern
verb stem + -DI + person ending
Use this pattern:
- The D can appear as d or t. The vowel changes by vowel harmony: -di, -di, -du, -du, -ti, -ti, -tu, -tu.
| Infinitive | Verb stem | Simple past |
|---|---|---|
| gelmek | gel | geldim |
| gitmek | git | gittim |
| okumak | oku | okudum |
| calismak | calis | calistim |
Forms by person
See how this tense looks with the same verb across all persons.
| Person | Turkish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | geldim | I came |
| Sen | geldin | You came |
| O | geldi | He/she/it came |
| Biz | geldik | We came |
| Siz | geldiniz | You came |
| Onlar | geldiler | They came |
Examples
Examples in real sentences
Read these examples for context. You do not need to memorize every word.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Dun toplantiya gec kaldim. | I was late to the meeting yesterday. |
| Sabah anahtarimi evde unuttum. | I forgot my key at home this morning. |
| Az once seni aradim. | I called you a moment ago. |
| Biz hafta sonu pazara gittik. | We went to the market at the weekend. |
| O faturayi dun odedi. | He/she paid the bill yesterday. |
| Siz dogru duragi buldunuz. | You found the right stop. |
| Onlar filmi yarida biraktilar. | They stopped the movie halfway through. |
| Kargo bugun geldi. | The package came today. |
| Ben aksam yemegini hazirladim. | I prepared dinner. |
| Biz eski mesajlari sildik. | We deleted the old messages. |
Watch out
Common mistakes
These mistakes show up often during practice.
Mistake 1: Ignoring the d/t change
After some verb stems, Turkish uses t instead of d.
Follow the conjugated form you see here.
Incorrect: Ben gitdim.
Correct: Ben gittim.
Mistake 2: Mixing simple past with reported past
Use simple past when the speaker presents the event as direct or known.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ben geldim. | I came. |
| Ben gelmisim. | Apparently, I came. |
Mistake 3: Forgetting the person ending
Incorrect: Ben geldi.
Correct: Ben geldim.
Practice
Mini practice
Try it: choose the correct Turkish form.
| Prompt | Correct Turkish |
|---|---|
| I was late to the meeting yesterday. | Dun toplantiya gec kaldim. |
| We went to the market at the weekend. | Biz hafta sonu pazara gittik. |
| You found the right stop. | Sen dogru duragi buldun. |
Related topics
Practice
Practice simple past forms
Start with positive statement forms and immediate feedback.