Questions & Answers about Ben sebzeli çorba yapıyorum.
Do I have to say "Ben," or can I drop it?
You can drop it. The ending in yapıyorum already shows the subject is “I.” Use Ben only for emphasis or contrast, e.g., Ben yapıyorum, sen değil (I am the one doing it, not you).
What tense is yapıyorum, exactly? Is it only “right now”?
It’s the present continuous (-yor). It most commonly means the action is happening now or around now. It can also express a near-future plan (like English “I’m making … tomorrow”), though the future (yapacağım) is also common for plans. For habits/generics, use the aorist: yaparım (I make).
How is yapıyorum formed?
- Stem: yap- (make/do)
- Present continuous: -(I)yor → -ıyor after a/ı, -iyor after e/i, -uyor after o/u, -üyor after ö/ü. Here: yap + ıyor.
- 1st person singular: -um. After -yor, 1sg is always -um. So: yap- + ıyor + um = yapıyorum.
Why is there no “a” or “the” before çorba? When would I use bir?
Turkish has no articles like “a/the.” Indefinite nouns appear bare: çorba. You can add bir to mean “a/one,” often to single something out: sebzeli bir çorba yapıyorum. If the object is specific/definite (“the soup we talked about”), you mark it with accusative: çorbayı.