Learn Hardcore Turkish: Zaten dışarı çıkacaktım, seni de alırım. - I was already going to go out; I’ll pick you up too.

Zaten adds the sense of “already/anyway/as it is.” It frames the first clause as something that was true regardless of the listener’s request, setting up the second clause as an easy extra favor. You could also place it after the subject (Ben zaten …) or even later (… çıkacaktım zaten) without changing the core meaning; sentence-initial placement is very natural for emphasis.

Why is çıkacaktım used instead of çıkıyordum?

Çıkacaktım is the “future-in-the-past”: “I was going to go out” (a plan/intent that existed at that earlier time).
Çıkıyordum is the past progressive: “I was going out/was in the middle of going out.” Here the speaker emphasizes a prior plan rather than an action already underway, so çıkacaktım fits better.

How is çıkacaktım formed morphologically?

Root çık- (go out) + future -(y)AcAK → çıkacak + past -DI → çıkacaktı + 1st person singular -m → çıkacaktım.
Meaning: “I was going to go out.”

Why is the second clause alırım instead of alacağım?

Turkish often uses the aorist/simple present for offers, promises, or quick decisions. Alırım here reads as “I’ll take/pick you up (no problem),” an accommodating offer. Alacağım is a more definite future plan or commitment; it can sound a bit firmer or scheduled.

What’s the difference among alırım, alacağım, alabilirim, and alayım?

Alırım: aorist used as an offer/promise or quick decision (“I’ll take you”).
Alacağım: straightforward future (“I will take you” — definite plan).
Alabilirim: ability/possibility (“I can/might be able to take you” — polite, less committal).
Alayım (optative): suggestion/volunteering (“Let me take you” — very offer-like and polite).

Does almak with a person mean “to buy” or “to take/pick up”?

With a person as the object (seni almak), it means “to take/pick (someone) up,” not “to buy.” With inanimate objects (e.g., ekmek alırım), it often means “I’ll buy bread.” Context and the object determine the meaning.

What does de do in seni de?

De/da is the enclitic meaning “too/also.” It is written separately and follows vowel harmony for e/a: after seni (front vowel), it’s de. Unlike the locative suffix -de/-da, this de/da never turns into te/ta and remains a separate word. It emphasizes that the object “you” is included as well.

Why is it seni de, not sen de?

Because “you” is the direct object of almak, it must be in the accusative: seni.

Sen de = “you too” as a subject.
Seni de = “you too” as an object (“I’ll take you too”).

Can I say sizi de alırım?

Yes. Sizi is the polite/plural form of “you.” Sizi de alırım is appropriate for politeness or addressing more than one person.

Is the mix of tenses normal: çıkacaktım (future-in-the-past) and alırım (aorist)?

Yes. Each clause serves a different function: the first explains the prior plan, the second makes a present-moment offer/decision. This kind of tense mix is very natural in Turkish.

Could I use ve instead of the comma: … çıkacaktım ve seni de alırım?

You could, but the comma is more natural here. The pause mirrors spoken rhythm: first state the plan, then add the offer. Ve is fine, just slightly more formal or explicit.

What’s the difference between dışarı and dışarıya?

Both can work with motion verbs. Dışarı (without a case ending) is very common and idiomatic with çıkmak. Dışarıya (dative) is also acceptable and can feel a touch more directional, but in everyday speech dışarı çıkmak is standard.

Could I include the subject ben? Does it change anything?

You can say Ben zaten dışarı çıkacaktım, seni de alırım. Turkish normally drops pronouns because the verb endings show the subject. Including ben adds mild emphasis on “I,” but the meaning stays the same.

How would I make the offer softer or more tentative?

Use forms like:

Seni de alabilirim (I can also pick you up — ability/possibility).
Seni de alayım (Let me also pick you up — optative, very polite/volunteering). These feel less assertive than alırım and can be friendlier depending on context.