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Breakdown of Bugün parkta koşasım var.
bugün
today
park
the park
var
to have
koşmak
to run
-ta
in
-ası
desiderative
-m
my
Questions & Answers about Bugün parkta koşasım var.
What does the -(y)AsI form express in this sentence, and how is it built?
It’s the colloquial “desiderative” form that means “feel like V‑ing / have the urge to V.” Here, koş- (run) + -(y)AsI (desiderative) creates a noun meaning “desire to run.” The full predicate koşasım var literally means “there is my desire to run.”
- After a consonant: git → gidesi-
- After a vowel, add buffer y: ağla → ağlayası-
- Vowel harmony: back vowels → -ası, front vowels → -esi
Why does it end with -m in koşasım?
The final -m is the 1st person singular possessive ending, so koşasım means “my desire to run.” Think of the pattern as: [Possessor in genitive] + [V-(y)AsI + possessive] + var/yok. The possessor is often omitted because the possessive ending already shows the person.
Where is the subject “I”? Can I add it?
It’s implicit in the possessive ending -m. You can make it explicit with a genitive possessor:
- Benim bugün parkta koşasım var. (Totally fine, just more explicit.) Usually, Turkish drops the genitive pronoun if the possessive ending is present.
How do I say this for other persons?
Use a genitive possessor and the matching possessive ending:
- Senin parkta koşasın var. (you sg.)
- Onun parkta koşası var. (he/she)
- Bizim parkta koşasımız var. (we)
- Sizin parkta koşasınız var. (you pl./formal)
- Onların parkta koşası var. (they; 3sg possessive is commonly used even for plural possessors in this idiom)
How do I negate it?
Change var to yok:
- Bugün parkta koşasım yok. = “I don’t feel like running in the park today.”
You may also hear the humorous/colloquial form with a negated verb root:
- Bugün parkta koşmayasım var. = “I feel like not running today.”
This is less common and has a playful tone. For neutral speech, prefer …koşasım yok.
How do I ask a question with this construction?
Put the question particle on var:
- Bugün parkta koşasın var mı? (Do you feel like running…?)
- Bugün parkta koşası var mı? (Does he/she feel like…?) You can front var mı for emphasis: Var mı bugün parkta koşasın?
How is this different from Bugün parkta koşmak istiyorum?
Both can translate as “I want to run in the park today,” but:
- …koşasım var = a spontaneous, mood-like urge; colloquial and emotive.
- …koşmak istiyorum = a straightforward desire/intention; neutral and widely used, including in formal contexts.
Can I say koşmayı istiyorum instead of koşmak istiyorum?
Yes, …-meyi istiyorum is also used, though many speakers prefer …-mek istiyorum in affirmative sentences. In negatives, …-meyi istemiyorum is very common: Bugün koşmayı istemiyorum.
Are there other natural ways to say “I feel like …” in Turkish?
Yes:
- Canım …mek istiyor. → Bugün canım parkta koşmak istiyor.
- İçimden …mek geliyor. → Bugün içimden parkta koşmak geliyor.
- …-esi/ası geldi. → Bugün parkta koşasım geldi. (very close in feel to …koşasım var)
Why is it parkta and not parka?
- parkta (locative -DA) = “in/at the park”
- parka (dative -A) = “to the park” So parkta koşmak = “run in the park,” while parka koşmak = “run to the park.”
Why do we see -ta (parkta) and not -da?
The locative suffix is -DA, but its consonant harmonizes with the preceding sound: after a voiceless consonant (like k), it becomes -ta. Hence park + ta → parkta; but ev + de → evde.
Can I change the word order?
Yes, Turkish allows flexibility for emphasis:
- Neutral: Bugün parkta koşasım var.
- Emphasizing location: Parkta bugün koşasım var.
- Emphasizing the desire: Koşasım var bugün parkta. All are grammatical; the first is the most neutral.
How does vowel harmony work with -(y)AsI?
The suffix follows 2-way harmony:
- After back vowels (a, ı, o, u): -ası → yap- → yapası-
- After front vowels (e, i, ö, ü): -esi → git- → gidesi- If the verb ends in a vowel, insert y: ağla- → ağlayası-; söyle- → söyleyesi-
Can I use past/reported forms with this?
Yes, by inflecting var:
- Past: Dün parkta koşasım vardı. (Yesterday I felt like…)
- Reported: Bugün parkta koşasım varmış. (Apparently I feel like… / So they say…)
- Negative past: Dün parkta koşasım yoktu.
Can any verb take -(y)AsI?
Most action verbs work well, especially for everyday urges:
- uyuyasım var (I feel like sleeping)
- yazasım var (I feel like writing)
- ağlayasım var (I feel like crying) Extremely abstract or stative verbs may sound odd; this is most natural with actions you might spontaneously feel like doing.
How can I soften or intensify the feeling?
Use adverbs or particles:
- Hiç koşasım yok. (I really don’t feel like it at all.)
- Pek koşasım yok. (I don’t much feel like it.)
- Çok fena koşasım var. / Aşırı koşasım var. (I really/so much feel like it.)
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