Word
Bugün kira ödüyorum.
Meaning
Today I am paying rent.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Bugün kira ödüyorum.
What tense/form is ödüyorum, and what does it usually convey?
It’s the present continuous: stem + -(I)yor + personal ending. It typically means either:
- An action happening now (I’m in the process of it).
- A near-future plan/arrangement (I’m doing it later today).
To make “right now” explicit, add şimdi or şu anda: Şu anda kira ödüyorum.
Where is the subject “I”? Why isn’t ben used?
Turkish is pro‑drop: the verb ending already shows the subject. -um on ödüyorum means “I.” You add ben only for emphasis or contrast:
- Ben bugün kira ödüyorum. — Emphasizes that it’s me (not someone else).
Why is it ödüyorum and not öderim?
- ödüyorum (present continuous) = doing it now/this time/arranged for today.
- öderim (aorist) = habitual, general ability, promises.
- Her ay kira öderim. — I pay rent every month (habit).
- Bugün kira ödüyorum. — I’m paying rent today (this time).
Why is there no word for “the” before kira? How is definiteness shown?
Turkish has no article like “the.” Definiteness is shown by the accusative case on the object. Compare:
- Bugün kira ödüyorum. — activity in general, no accusative.
- Bugün kirayı ödüyorum. — definite object (the rent), marked with accusative -yı.
So when should I use kira vs kirayı?
Both are possible here:
- kira (no case) treats it as the activity of rent‑paying.
- kirayı (accusative) points to that specific, known bill and often adds focus/contrast (e.g., rent as opposed to other bills). If you’re highlighting that particular bill or contrasting with others, use kirayı.
How do I say “my rent” or “the house’s rent”?
Use possessive + (if definite) accusative:
- Kiramı ödüyorum. — I’m paying my rent. (my-rent-ACC)
- Evin kirasını ödüyorum. — I’m paying the house’s rent. (house-GEN rent-POSS-ACC)
Why is it ödüyorum and not ödeyorum?
With the present continuous suffix, verbs ending in -a/-e drop that vowel and the suffix vowel harmonizes:
- öde-
- -iyor → ödüyor- (the e drops; i becomes ü by vowel harmony) → ödüyorum with the 1st‑person ending.
What exactly are the pieces inside ödüyorum?
- öde- (pay) + -iyor (present continuous, harmonized here as -üyor) + -um (1st person singular) → ödüyorum. After -(I)yor, the personal endings are fixed as back-vowel forms: -um, -sun, -uz, -sunuz (3rd person has no ending).
How do I negate or ask a yes–no question?
- Negation: insert -me/ma before -yor → Bugün kira ödemiyorum.
- Yes–no: add the question particle mi (as a separate word) after the verb; it harmonizes and takes the personal ending:
- Bugün kira ödüyor muyum?
- Answer: Evet, ödüyorsun. / Hayır, ödemiyorsun.
Can I move words around? Where does bugün usually go?
Neutral, natural place for a time adverb is early in the sentence:
- Bugün kira ödüyorum. (most neutral) Other options for emphasis:
- Kirayı bugün ödüyorum. — Focus on “today.”
- Bugün kirayı ben ödüyorum. — Focus on “I.”
- Kira ödüyorum bugün. — Colloquial, end-focus on “today.” Keep the object close to the verb unless you’re focusing something.
Would future tense be better for a plan? How do I say that?
For a clear plan/commitment, the future is very natural:
- Bugün kirayı ödeyeceğim. — I will pay the rent today. Present continuous also works for scheduled plans, much like English “I’m paying the rent today.”
How do I pronounce the vowels in bugün and ödüyorum?
- ö: front rounded vowel (like German ö or French eu in deux).
- ü: front rounded vowel (like German ü or French u in tu).
- g in bugün is a regular hard g; there’s no ğ here. Syllables: bu-gün; ö-dü-yo-rum.
Is bugün one word or two?
It’s one word: bugün. The spaced form bu gün is archaic/poetic.
I often hear kira yatırmak. Is that different from kira ödemek?
- kira ödemek = to pay the rent (general).
- kira yatırmak = to deposit/transfer the rent (often via bank/ATM/app). In everyday speech, many use yatırmak when the payment is through a bank.
How do I say something habitual like “I pay rent every month”?
Use the aorist:
- Her ay kira öderim. Present continuous (Her ay kira ödüyorum) can occur in casual speech but the aorist is the standard form for habits.