Learn Hardcore Turkish: Birazdan otobüs gelecek.

Gelecek is the 3rd‑person singular future of gelmek (to come). Turkish puts “will” on the verb with the suffix -(y)acak/-(y)ecek, chosen by vowel harmony.

Stem: gel-
- future: -ecek → gelecek (“he/she/it will come”) No extra ending is needed for 3rd person singular.

What does birazdan mean exactly, and how is it formed?

Birazdan = biraz (“a little”) + -dan (ablative “from”) → “in a little while,” “shortly.” It’s a fixed time adverb. You’ll also hear biraz sonra and az sonra with very similar meanings.

Why use gelecek instead of geliyor here?

Gelecek: plain future prediction/statement (“it will come”).
Geliyor: present continuous used for near future (“it’s on its way/coming soon”), often when the bus is imminent or already tracked. Both are fine; gelecek sounds more neutral/detached.

Can I change the word order, and does it change the emphasis?

Yes. In Turkish, the element immediately before the verb is usually in focus.

Birazdan otobüs gelecek. Focus on otobüs (“it’s the bus that will come soon”).
Otobüs birazdan gelecek. Focus on the time (“the bus will come soon”).
Otobüs gelecek birazdan. Colloquial, afterthought emphasis on birazdan.

How do I ask “Will the bus come soon?” Where does mi go?

Put the yes/no particle after the element being questioned—typically the verb:

Birazdan otobüs gelecek mi? You can shift focus with mi:
Otobüs birazdan gelecek mi? (neutral)
Birazdan mı otobüs gelecek? (emphasizes “soon?”) Remember mi/mı/mu/mü follows vowel harmony.

How do I say the negative: “The bus won’t come soon”?

Use the negative -me/-ma before the future:

Birazdan otobüs gelmeyecek. Morphology: gel-
- -me- (neg.) + buffer -y-
  - -ecek (future).

How do I say “a bus” vs “the bus” in Turkish?

Turkish has no articles. Context gives definiteness.

Neutral/definite by context: Birazdan otobüs gelecek.
Explicitly indefinite: Birazdan bir otobüs gelecek. (“a bus / some bus”)
Explicitly definite/specific: Birazdan o otobüs gelecek. (“that bus / the bus we mean”)

Can I drop otobüs if it’s obvious?

Yes:

Birazdan gelecek. (“It will come soon.”) Subject understood from context.
O gelecek. = “He/She/It will come,” if o clearly refers to the bus (or a person).

Is gelecek also an adjective or a noun?

Yes.

Adjective: gelecek hafta (“next week”), gelecek otobüs (“the next/coming bus”).
Noun: gelecek (“the future”): Gelecek hakkında konuşalım. In the sentence, gelecek is the verb “will come.”

What about gelir? Can I say Otobüs birazdan gelir?

Yes, but the nuance changes. Gelir (aorist) conveys general truth, habit, or inference:

Otobüs birazdan gelir. ≈ “The bus should come soon / it usually comes around now.” Gelecek is a straightforward future statement.

What’s the effect of gelecektir?

Adding -DIr makes it more formal/certain or inferential:

Birazdan otobüs gelecektir. Sounds like an announcement or confident prediction.

Are there near-synonyms for birazdan?

Az sonra: “in a moment” (often a bit more immediate).
Biraz sonra: “a little later” (can feel slightly less immediate).
Yakında: can mean “soon” but also “nearby”; with motion verbs it can be ambiguous, so birazdan/az sonra are safer for “soon.”

Why is it spelled gelecek, not gelicek or gelcek?

The standard future suffix is -ecek/-acak by vowel harmony, so the correct form is gelecek. Casual speech may reduce it to something like “gelicek/gelcek,” but in writing use gelecek.

If there are multiple buses, how do I say it?

Use a plural subject; the verb usually stays singular:

Birazdan otobüsler gelecek. You’ll most often see the verb unmarked for plural with inanimate subjects; otobüsler gelecekler is possible but uncommon here.