Ben bisikletimi ağaca bağlıyorum.

I am tying my bicycle to the tree.

Breakdown of Ben bisikletimi ağaca bağlıyorum.

• ben: I
• benim: my
• bisiklet: the bicycle
• ağaç: the tree
• -ya: to
• bağlamak: to tie

Questions & Answers about Ben bisikletimi ağaca bağlıyorum.

Why is bisikletimi used instead of just bisikletim?

In Turkish, when a noun is both possessed and the definite object of a verb, you stack two suffixes. First you add the possessive -im (“my”) to bisiklet → bisikletim (“my bicycle”). Then, because it’s a specific (definite) object of bağlıyorum, you add the accusative -i, yielding bisikletimi.

What function does the -a in ağaca serve?

The -a is the dative case marker, which corresponds to English “to” or “onto.” Ağaç is “tree,” so ağaca literally means “to the tree” or “onto the tree.”

Why is the verb bağlıyorum in this exact form?

Bağlıyorum is the first-person singular, present continuous form of bağlamak (“to tie/attach”). Breakdown:
• Root: bağla- (“tie”)
• Progressive suffix: -ıyor (harmonizes to -ıyor after the vowel a)
• Personal ending: -um (“I”).
Together: bağla + ıyor + um → bağlıyorum (“I am tying”).

Why is the pronoun Ben included when bağlıyorum already shows “I”?

Turkish verbs are conjugated for each person, so bağlıyorum already means “I am tying.” Adding Ben (“I”) isn’t grammatically necessary; it’s used only for emphasis or clarity. You can just say Bisikletimi ağaca bağlıyorum.

How does vowel harmony determine the vowel in -iyorum?

The variable vowel in the progressive suffix -(I)yor follows the last vowel of the root:
• If the root has a or ı, you use -ıyor (back, unrounded).
• If it has e or i, you use -iyor (front, unrounded).
• If it has o or u, you use -uyor (back, rounded).
Here, bağla ends in a, so we pick -ıyor, giving bağlıyor, then + -um → bağlıyorum.

What if I wanted to say “I am tying a bicycle to a tree” (not my bicycle)?

For an indefinite object (“a bicycle”), you drop the possessive suffix -im, and generally you’d signal indefiniteness with bir (“a”). So you could say:
Bir bisikleti ağaca bağlıyorum.
Here bisiklet- + accusative -i still appears because you’re talking about “a (particular) bicycle” you’re attaching. If it were purely generic or non-specific, you might omit the object marking, but in practice learners usually use bir bisikleti for clarity.

What’s the difference between bağlamak and kilitlemek when talking about securing a bicycle?

• Bağlamak means “to tie” or “to attach” (with a rope, chain, etc.).
• Kilitlemek means “to lock” (with a padlock, U-lock, etc.).
You can bisikletimi ağaca bağlıyorum if you’re chaining it, but if you’re using a lock mechanism you’d say bisikletimi ağaca kilitliyorum or more commonly bisikletimi ağaca kilitliyorum / bisikletimi ağaca kilitledim (“I lock(ed) my bike to the tree”).