Ben gümrükte bekliyorum.

I am waiting at customs.

Breakdown of Ben gümrükte bekliyorum.

• ben: I
• beklemek: to wait
• gümrükte: at customs

Questions & Answers about Ben gümrükte bekliyorum.

Why is Ben optional in Ben gümrükte bekliyorum?

In Turkish the verb ending already shows the subject. Bekliyorum ends with -um, which marks 1st person singular (“I”). Because of this you can drop Ben unless you want extra emphasis. So Gümrükte bekliyorum is perfectly natural.

What does the suffix -te in gümrükte indicate?

The suffix -te is the locative case marker, meaning “at” or “in.” It turns gümrük (“customs”) into gümrükte, literally “at the customs.”

Why -te and not -da, -de or -ta?

Turkish locative follows two harmony rules:

1. Consonant harmony: after voiceless consonants (p, t, k, ç) you use -t- rather than -d-. Gümrük ends in k, so we pick -t.
2. Vowel harmony: gümrük has front vowels, so we use the front vowel form -e. Together this gives -te.

Why doesn’t Turkish use an article like “the” or “a” in gümrükte?

Turkish has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone and context tells you whether something is “a” or “the.” So gümrükte can mean “at customs,” without any extra word.

What does the -iyor in bekliyorum do?

-iyor is the present continuous tense marker, similar to English -ing. It shows that the action (waiting) is happening right now.

What about the -um at the end of bekliyorum?

-um is the 1st person singular agreement suffix, meaning “I.” Combined with -iyor, bekliyorum literally means “I am waiting.”

How do we get from the infinitive beklemek to bekliyorum?

1. Remove -mek → stem bekle-
2. Add present continuous -iyor → bekle + iyor
3. The front vowels e + i merge to i, giving bekliyor
4. Finally attach -um (I) → bekliyorum.

Does word order matter? Could I just say Gümrükte bekliyorum?

Turkish is generally Subject-Object-Verb, but adverbials (like locative phrases) go before the verb. You can drop the subject pronoun, so Gümrükte bekliyorum (“I’m waiting at customs”) is natural. You could also say Gümrükte ben bekliyorum for slight emphasis, but it’s less common.

How do I turn this into a question: “Are you waiting at customs?”

Insert the question particle -mu- after the tense suffix, before the personal ending. For “you” (sen):
Gümrükte bekliyor musun?
This literally is “At customs waiting question-are-you?” meaning “Are you waiting at customs?”