Questions & Answers about Arkadaşım bazen şaka yapıyor, ben gülüyorum.
Do I need to say ben in ben gülüyorum, or is gülüyorum enough?
You don’t need ben. Turkish drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. Gülüyorum already means “I am laughing.” Adding ben adds emphasis or contrast (“I, for my part, am laughing”).
Should I add de to mean “I laugh too”?
Yes. Use the clitic de/da (written separately; choose de or da by vowel harmony): Ben de gülüyorum = “I (too) am laughing.” Very natural: Arkadaşım bazen şaka yapıyor, ben de gülüyorum. Don’t write it together: bende means “on/at me” (locative), not “too.”
Is the comma between the clauses okay, or should I use ve?
A comma alone is common in informal Turkish. For clearer linking:
- ... ve (ben de) gülüyorum. (“and”)
- ...; ben gülüyorum. (semicolon) To show cause:
- ... bu yüzden gülüyorum. (“therefore”)
- ... yaptığı için gülüyorum. (“because”)
Why use the progressive -yor here? Would the aorist be more natural for habits?