Ben hazırım.
English: I am ready.
- Language
- Turkish
- Level
- A0
- Unit
- Yardımcı kelimeler ve temel fiiller
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Turkish, the concept of 'be' is expressed with suffixes added to the noun or adjective, not as a separate word. There is no standalone verb for 'be' in the present tense.
When to use it
Use these suffixes to say who someone is, what something is, or how someone feels. For negatives, use 'değil'.
Key forms
- Ben ...-im/-ım/-um/-üm
- Sen ...-sin/-sın/-sun/-sün
- O ...
- Biz ...-iz/-ız/-uz/-üz
- Siz ...-siniz/-sınız/-sunuz/-sünüz
- Onlar ...-lar/-ler
- olumsuz: değil
Examples
O benim öğretmenim.
English: She is my teacher.
Onlar evde.
English: They are at home.
Biz geç değiliz.
English: We are not late.
Tips
- Suffixes change according to the subject and vowel harmony.
- For negatives, add 'değil' before the suffix.
- In the third person singular (he/she/it), there is no suffix in the present tense.
Exceptions and edge cases
- In short answers, Turkish does not repeat the 'be' verb, but may use 'evet' (yes) or 'hayır' (no) with the subject.