okumak

How to build it (example: “Ben …”)

1. Goal: Say "I read" in Turkish.
2. Pieces: stem oku + aorist ending r + um
3. Result: oku + rum → okurum

Tip: The ending vowels change to “match” the last vowel of the stem. See verb endings for the full guide.

Aorist (simple present)

Use this for habits, general facts, and “I do X” statements.

Present continuous (-iyor)

Use this for actions happening now (“I am …-ing”).

Examples

• Ben kitap okurum. — I read books.
• Şimdi ders çalışmıyorum, okuyorum. — I’m not studying now, I’m reading.
• Onlar gazeteleri okurlar. — They read newspapers.

Common uses

‘okumak’ can mean ‘to read’ or ‘to study’ depending on context.

• kitap okumak (to read a book)
• gazete okumak (to read a newspaper)
• ders okumak (to study)
• üniversitede okumak (to study at university)
• yüksek lisans okumak (to do a master’s)