Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kim geliyor?

Turkish is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb form and context make the subject clear. Here, the subject itself is being asked about with kim (who), so you don’t add a pronoun like o (he/she).

Why is the verb in third‑person singular (geliyor) even if more than one person might be coming?

With kim, the verb defaults to third‑person singular because the subject is unknown. If you expect multiple people, you can say Kimler geliyor? to indicate a plural answer. In replies, if you name multiple people, the verb can be singular or plural: Ali ve Ayşe geliyor(lar).

What’s the difference between Kim geliyor? and Kimler geliyor?

Kim geliyor? is neutral; it doesn’t assume number.
Kimler geliyor? presumes more than one person. It often feels like “Which people are coming?” You may hear both Kimler geliyor? and Kimler geliyorlar?; the singular verb is common and safe, while the plural verb also occurs in speech.

Can I say Kim geliyorlar? to ask about multiple people?

No. Kim is grammatically singular, so the verb should not be made plural. Use Kimler geliyor? if you want to signal a plural expectation.

Where is the yes/no question particle mi? Why isn’t it used here?

Content questions with a wh‑word (like kim) do not use mi. Use mi only for yes/no questions: Geliyor mu? (Is he/she coming?). A different sentence, Kim mi geliyor?, means “Is it who that’s coming?”—an echo/surprised clarification, not a normal “who” question.

Does the question word have to be at the beginning?

Turkish wh‑words typically stay where the thing they replace would appear. As the subject, kim sits in the subject slot before the verb: Kim geliyor? You can add context around it:

Şimdi kim geliyor? (Who is coming now?)
Partiye kim geliyor? (Who is coming to the party?)

What is the nuance difference between geliyor and gelir?

geliyor (present continuous) = happening now/around now or scheduled near future: Kim geliyor?
gelir (aorist/simple present) = habitual/general truth or tentative future: Kim gelir? ≈ Who tends to come / Who would come?

How is geliyor formed morphologically?

Root gel- (come) + progressive suffix -(I)yor with vowel harmony → geliyor. Person endings attach after that:

geliyorum (I’m coming)
geliyorsun (you’re coming)
geliyor (he/she is coming)
geliyoruz, geliyorsunuz, geliyorlar

How is it pronounced and stressed?

kim: short i (as in “sit”).
geliyor: syllables ge‑li‑yor; the -yor part is typically unstressed, so stress falls on li: ge‑Lİ‑yor. In wh‑questions, the wh‑word is usually stressed too: KİM geliyor?

How do I add more information like place, time, or direction?

Add phrases before the verb and keep kim where the subject would be:

Place (dative): Partiye kim geliyor? (Who is coming to the party?)
Place (locative): Buraya kim geliyor? (Who is coming here?)
Time: Yarın kim geliyor? (Who is coming tomorrow?)

How do I ask related “who” questions with cases (to whom, from whom, with whom)?

Decline kim:

Dative (to): Kime geliyor? (To whom is he/she coming?)
Ablative (from): Kimden geliyor? (From whom is he/she coming?)
Instrumental (with): Kimle / Kiminle geliyor? (With whom is he/she coming?) Both kimle and kiminle are used.

Is Kimin geliyor? ever correct?

No. Kimin is genitive (whose), so Kimin geliyor? is ungrammatical. To ask “Whose arrival…?”, you’d use a nominalized form: Kimin gelmesi…? But that’s a different structure.

What’s the difference between Kim geliyor? and Gelen kim?

Kim geliyor? asks about a (possibly future/ongoing) event: Who is/are coming?
Gelen kim? literally “Who is the one that is coming?”—used when someone is arriving/visible, focusing on identifying that person.

How do I change the tense?

Past: Kim geldi? (Who came?)
Past continuous: Kim geliyordu? (Who was coming?)
Future: Kim gelecek? (Who will come?)
Evidential past: Kim gelmiş? (Who apparently/it seems has come?)

How do I answer this question naturally?

Single: Ali geliyor.
Plural: Ali ve Ayşe geliyor(lar).
Unknown: Bilmiyorum. (I don’t know.)
Nobody: Hiç kimse gelmiyor. / Kimse gelmiyor. (No one is coming.)

What’s the deal with kim vs. kimse?

kim = who (for direct questions).
kimse = anyone/someone or nobody, depending on polarity:
- In questions/conditionals: Kimse geliyor mu? (Is anyone coming?)
- With negation: Kimse gelmiyor. (No one is coming.) For a definite “someone,” use biri: Biri geliyor. (Someone is coming.)

Is there a way to soften or make the question more polite?

Yes, add particles like acaba or a softener like ya:

Kim geliyor acaba? (I wonder who is coming.)
Peki, kim geliyor? (So, who is coming?)

Can I put şimdi (now) at the end: Kim geliyor şimdi?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis. Şimdi kim geliyor? and Kim geliyor şimdi? are both natural; the former highlights “now” slightly more at the start, the latter keeps the focus on the verb phrase.