Questions & Answers about Otobüs gelene kadar ben kitap okuyorum.
What does the structure in gelene kadar consist of, and why can’t I say geliyor kadar?
- gel- (come) + -en (present participle/relative) → gelen “(the one) that comes”
- -e (dative) → gelene “to the coming”
- kadar is a postposition meaning “until/up to,” and it typically takes a dative form before it. Because kadar needs a noun-like/nominalized form, you use gelene, not the finite verb geliyor. So geliyor kadar is ungrammatical; say gelene kadar or gelinceye kadar.
Why is ben stated? Isn’t the subject already in okuyorum?
Yes, okuyor-um already marks 1st person singular, so ben is optional. It’s used for emphasis or contrast (e.g., “As for me, I am reading…”). Without emphasis, you can simply say: Otobüs gelene kadar kitap okuyorum.
Why is kitap not in the accusative? When would I use kitabı?
In Turkish, indefinite direct objects are usually bare (no accusative). Kitap okuyorum means “I’m reading (a) book / doing some reading.” Use the accusative kitabı when the object is definite/specific: Otobüs gelene kadar kitabı okuyorum = “I’m reading the (specific) book until the bus comes.”
Why use present continuous okuyorum instead of simple present okurum?