Learn Hardcore Turkish: Mezuniyet günü yaklaşıyor.

The -ü on günü here is not the accusative suffix but the third-person singular possessive marker. In Turkish noun-noun compounds (like oda kapısı “door of the room”), the second noun takes a possessive ending to mean “the X of Y.” So Mezuniyet günü literally means “graduation’s day,” i.e. graduation day.

How can I tell if -ü is a possessive suffix or the accusative case when they look the same?

Look at the verb’s requirements. Yaklaşmak in this sentence is intransitive (“to get closer”), so it has no direct object and therefore no accusative. Also, the phrase Mezuniyet günü is a fixed compound meaning “graduation day.” When you see a noun followed by another noun with a 3rd-person possessive ending (-ı, ‑i, ‑u, ‑ü), it’s typically a compound, not an object.

Why is yaklaşıyor in the present continuous form instead of using the future tense?

In Turkish, the present continuous tense (-ıyor) can express that something is definitely coming soon—similar to English “is approaching” or “is coming up.” You could say yaklaşacak, but yaklaşıyor emphasizes the nearness of the event, making it feel more immediate.

Do I need a subject pronoun like o before yaklaşıyor?

No. Turkish normally omits subject pronouns when the subject is clear. Here the subject is Mezuniyet günü, so you simply say Mezuniyet günü yaklaşıyor without adding o.

Shouldn’t yaklaşmak take a dative suffix (-e) on Mezuniyet günü since it’s “approaching something”?

Yaklaşmak can be used two ways:

Intransitive: “Something approaches” (no dative needed). Example: Mezuniyet günü yaklaşıyor (“Graduation day is approaching”).
Transitive: “I approach something” (requires dative). Example: Şehre yaklaşıyorum (“I am approaching the city”).

There’s no word for “the” in Turkish. How do I know Mezuniyet günü means “the graduation day” and not “a graduation day”?

Turkish has no articles. Definiteness is inferred from context and word order. In this sentence, it’s clear you’re talking about a specific, known event, so we understand it as “the graduation day.”

Can I say Mezuniyet günü geliyor instead? I know gelmek also means “to come.”

Yes, Mezuniyet günü geliyor is grammatically correct. Gelmek simply means “is coming,” while yaklaşmak (“is approaching”) emphasizes that the event is drawing near. Choose based on the shade of meaning you want.

How do I pronounce the ü sound in günü?

The Turkish ü is a close front rounded vowel, like the German ü. Round your lips as if saying u in “blue,” but articulate ee as in “see.” So you end up with [y], a sound not found in English but the same in gün, gül, süt, etc.