Ben uzun akşamlarımı şiir okuyarak huzurla geçiriyorum.

I spend my long evenings peacefully reading poetry.

Breakdown of Ben uzun akşamlarımı şiir okuyarak huzurla geçiriyorum.

• ben: I
• benim: my
• okumak: to read
• uzun: long
• akşam: the evening
• şiir: the poetry
• geçirmek: to spend
• huzurla: peacefully

Questions & Answers about Ben uzun akşamlarımı şiir okuyarak huzurla geçiriyorum.

Could you break down akşamlarımı into its suffixes and explain the function of each?

akşamlarımı consists of:

• akşam (evening)
• -lar (plural suffix) → turns it into “evenings”
• -ım (1st person possessive) → “my evenings”
• -ı (accusative/definite object) → marks it as a specific direct object (“my evenings” that I’m actually spending)
  Because it’s a repeated, owned set of evenings that you’re talking about, you get plural + possessive, and since it’s definite, you add the accusative -ı at the end.

What does the suffix -arak in okuyarak do, and how do I decide between -arak vs -erek?

okuyarak is an adverbial participle (zarf-fiil) meaning “by/while reading.” The suffix -arak/-erek connects two actions, showing that one happens “by doing” the other. You pick -arak if the verb’s last vowel is a back vowel (a, ı, o, u); since oku- has u, you use -arak. If it were a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü), you’d use -erek (e.g. gidip vs gelerek).

How is huzurla formed, and what does it mean in this sentence?

huzur is the noun “peace.” Adding the instrumental/adverbial suffix -la (“with”) gives huzurla, literally “with peace,” but effectively “peacefully.” It tells you the manner in which the evenings are spent.

Why is geçiriyorum in the present continuous tense here instead of a simple present or past form?

The verb geçirmek means “to spend (time).” Turkish uses the present continuous tense (-iyor) for ongoing or habitual actions.

• geçiriyorum → “I am spending” (and do so regularly)
  You could use the simple present (geçiririm) for habits, but geçiriyorum feels more vivid and common when describing your ongoing routine. A past tense (geçirdim) would imply a completed action, not a recurring one.

What role does the pronoun Ben play in this sentence, and is it necessary?

Ben means “I.” Turkish verb endings (-iyorum) already tell you the subject is “I,” so Ben is optional. You include it for emphasis, contrast, or clarity (“I personally spend my evenings…”). If context is clear, you can simply say Uzun akşamlarımı şiir okuyarak huzurla geçiriyorum.

Is the order of uzun akşamlarımı, şiir okuyarak, huzurla, geçiriyorum fixed in Turkish, or can I rearrange these elements?

Turkish is typically S-O-(adverbials)-V, so the verb stays at the end. Adjectives (like uzun) precede their nouns (akşamlarımı). Adverbial phrases such as şiir okuyarak and huzurla normally come before the verb but can swap places for nuance:

• Ben uzun akşamlarımı huzurla şiir okuyarak geçiriyorum.
• Ben uzun akşamlarımı şiir okuyarak huzurla geçiriyorum.
  Both are correct; you’re just shifting slight emphasis between the manner (huzurla) and the means (şiir okuyarak).