Ben yarın sözleşmeye imza atacağım.

I will sign the contract tomorrow.

Breakdown of Ben yarın sözleşmeye imza atacağım.

• ben: I
• yarın: tomorrow
• sözleşme: the contract
• imza atmak: to sign

Questions & Answers about Ben yarın sözleşmeye imza atacağım.

Do I have to say Ben, or can I drop it?

You can drop it. The verb ending already shows the subject. So Yarın sözleşmeye imza atacağım is perfectly natural. Keep Ben if you want emphasis or contrast (as in “I will sign it, not someone else”).

Why is it sözleşmeye with the dative suffix -e, not sözleşmeyi with the accusative?

Because the idiom is bir şeye imza atmak (“to put a signature onto something”), and it takes the dative (-e/-a) for the thing being signed. If you use the simple verb imzalamak (“to sign”), then you take the accusative: Yarın sözleşmeyi imzalayacağım.

What’s the difference between imza atmak and imzalamak?

Both mean “to sign,” but:

• imza atmak is a light-verb expression (literally “to put/throw a signature”) and is very common in everyday speech.
• imzalamak is the straightforward verb “to sign” and often feels a bit more direct or formal in writing. Both are correct with this meaning.

How is atacağım formed, and why is there a ğ?

Formation:

• Verb stem: at- (“to throw/put” in this idiom)
• Future tense: -ecek/-acak → last vowel is a, so -acak → atacak
• 1st person singular: -ım/-im/-um/-üm → back vowel harmony → -ım
• When a vowel-initial ending follows -acak, the k softens to ğ: atacak + ım → atacağım The ğ is the “soft g”: it lengthens the preceding vowel; it’s not pronounced as a hard consonant.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?

• ğ in atacağım lengthens the preceding a; don’t pronounce it like “g.”
• ı in yarın is the dotless i, a back, unrounded vowel (like a relaxed “uh” but further back).
• ö in sözleşme is like German “ö” or French “eu” in “peur.”
• ş is “sh.”
• ç is “ch.”

Where can I put yarın in the sentence?

Common options:

• Yarın sözleşmeye imza atacağım. (neutral; time up front)
• Ben yarın sözleşmeye imza atacağım. (adds emphasis on “I”)
• Sözleşmeye yarın imza atacağım. (emphasis on the contract) Putting yarın at the end (…atacağım yarın) is possible for special emphasis but is less neutral.

How do I make it negative?

Insert the negative -ma/-me before the future and use a buffer y:
Ben yarın sözleşmeye imza atmayacağım.
(Stem at- + negative -ma + future -yacak + 1sg -ım → atmayacağım.)

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Use the question particle with vowel harmony, separated from the verb:
Yarın sözleşmeye imza atacak mıyım? (Will I sign the contract tomorrow?)
For “you”: Yarın sözleşmeye imza atacak mısın?

Why not sözleşmede (locative) instead of sözleşmeye?

-de/-da (locative) means “in/at/on.” The idiom is “to put a signature onto something,” so you need the directional/dative -e/-a: sözleşmeye.

Why doesn’t imza have any ending? Shouldn’t it be imzayı or imzamı?

In the idiom imza atmak, imza is typically used as an indefinite noun with no ending. You can say imzayı atacağım for a definite “the signature,” or imzamı atacağım to emphasize it’s specifically “my signature,” but in most contexts the bare imza is the natural choice.

Isn’t atmak “to throw”? Why use it for signing?

Yes, literally atmak is “to throw,” but Turkish uses many light-verb expressions. İmza atmak is a set phrase meaning “to sign.” Similar patterns: başarıya imza atmak (“to achieve notable success,” literally “to put a signature to success”).

Can I just say atacağım without imza?

Not by itself in this meaning. Atacağım alone means “I will throw (it).” You need the full expression imza atacağım (and usually the thing you’ll sign, e.g., sözleşmeye).

Is this sentence appropriate in a formal/business context?

Yes, but if you want a more straightforward or slightly more formal tone, Yarın sözleşmeyi imzalayacağım is great. Both are acceptable in professional settings.

Can I use the present continuous for a scheduled future, like English “I’m signing tomorrow”?

Yes. Turkish often uses the present continuous for planned/scheduled near-future events:

• Yarın sözleşmeye imza atıyorum.
• Yarın sözleşmeyi imzalıyorum.
  These sound like firm arrangements.

Why is there a y in sözleşmeye?

It’s a buffer consonant to prevent two vowels from crashing. sözleşme + -e would create sözleşmee, so Turkish inserts y: sözleşme + y + e → sözleşmeye. The same buffer shows up in negatives like atmayacağım (…ma + yacak…).

How can I highlight that it’s specifically me who will sign?

Use focus with ben or move constituents:

• Ben yarın sözleşmeye imza atacağım.
• İmzayı ben atacağım. (Very strong emphasis on “I,” literally “I will be the one to sign.”)

Are there colloquial contractions of atacağım?

Yes, in casual speech atacağım often becomes atıcam. Likewise, yapacağım → yapıcam, gideceğim → gidecem/gidicem. Use the full form in writing or formal contexts.

Could I use kontrat instead of sözleşme?

Yes. Kontrat is a loanword meaning “contract.” Both are widely understood. Sözleşme is the standard native term and common in legal/official language.