zarf-fiiller (temel düzey) grammar in Turkish

Language: Turkish
Level: A2
Unit: Karşılaştırmalar ve fiilimsiler
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

Zarf-fiiller (also called gerunds or adverbial verbs) are special verb forms in Turkish that show how, when, or why an action happens. They connect two actions and add extra meaning to the main verb.

When to use it

Use zarf-fiiller in Turkish to describe when or how something happens, to connect two actions, or to explain conditions (like 'while doing', 'after doing', 'without doing').

Key forms

-ken (yürürken)
-ince/-ınca/-ünce/-unca (gelince)
-dikçe/-dıkça (yaptıkça)
-ip (alıp)
-meden/-madan (gitmeden)

Examples

Ben çalışırken müzik dinlerim.

English: I listen to music while I work.

Eve gelince yemek yiyeceğim.

English: I will eat when I come home.

Soruları çözmeden önce düşün.

English: Think before solving the questions.

Kitabı okuyup geri verdim.

English: I read the book and gave it back.

Yağmur yağdıkça hava serinliyor.

English: As it rains, the weather gets cooler.

Tips

Zarf-fiiller always use verb stems and special suffixes, not the normal verb endings.
The subject of the zarf-fiil and the main verb is usually the same.
Be careful: Do not use personal endings (like -im, -sin) with zarf-fiiller.