Breakdown of Yemek yapmak üzere mutfağa gidiyorum.
gitmek
to go
yemek
the food
mutfak
the kitchen
yapmak
to make
-ya
to
üzere
in order to
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Questions & Answers about Yemek yapmak üzere mutfağa gidiyorum.
What is the function of -mek üzere in yemek yapmak üzere mutfağa gidiyorum?
-mek üzere is a purpose marker attached to the infinitive (yapmak) that means “in order to” or “about to.” Here it expresses that the goal of going to the kitchen is to cook.
Why is mutfağa in the dative case?
The suffix -a (becoming -ğa after a consonant) marks the dative case, indicating motion toward a place. So mutfağa translates as to the kitchen.
Why is the verb gidiyorum in the present continuous rather than the future tense?
Turkish often uses the present continuous tense (verb stem + -yor + personal ending) for near-future actions or plans. Gidiyorum literally means “I am going,” but contextually it can mean “I’m (about to) go.”
Could I use yemek pişirmek instead of yemek yapmak?
Yes. Both mean “to cook,” but:
• yemek yapmak (“to make food”) is very common in everyday speech.
• yemek pişirmek (“to cook food”) emphasizes the cooking process and can sound more formal.
Can I replace -mek üzere with -mek için, and what’s the nuance?
Yes, you can say yemek yapmak için mutfağa gidiyorum.
• -mek için is a neutral purpose marker (“in order to”).
• -mek üzere implies immediacy or “just about to.”
Why is the verb at the end of the sentence?
Turkish has a typical Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) word order, so purpose clauses and other modifiers come before the main verb, which appears last as the sentence’s “center of gravity.”
How would you translate the sentence literally and naturally?
Literal: “I am going to the kitchen in order to cook.”
Natural English: “I’m going to the kitchen to cook.”