Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Turkish grammar and vocabulary.
Start learning Turkish now
Questions & Answers about Sen dışarıdayken köpeği ben gezdiririm.
In dışarıdayken, what does -yken mean and how is it formed?
-ken/-yken means “while/when (being).” It attaches to nouns, adjectives, and adverbs to form time clauses. Because dışarıda ends in a vowel, you insert the buffer y: dışarıda + yken → dışarıdayken. If the word ends in a consonant, you use -ken directly (e.g., çocukken “when (I was) a child”).
Why is it dışarıda (with -da) and not just dışarı?
-da/-de is the locative suffix expressing a state or location. Dışarıda = “outside (at a location).” Since the meaning is “while you are outside,” the locative is required to describe the state of being. Bare dışarı is directional/“out(wards)” in many uses and doesn’t express the static state as neatly here.
Is dışarıda iken also correct, or must it be fused to dışarıdayken?
Both are correct. İken is the full form; in everyday language it usually fuses: dışarıda iken → dışarıdayken. The fused form is more common and slightly more colloquial.
Why are both sen and ben stated? Doesn’t the verb already show the person?
Turkish verb endings show the subject, so pronouns are often dropped. Here, sen and ben are included for contrast/emphasis: “while YOU are out, I (and not someone else) will walk the dog.” Without emphasis, you could say: Dışarıdayken köpeği gezdiririm.
What does fronting the object in köpeği ben gezdiririm do?
Word order is flexible for emphasis. Placing köpeği first topicalizes the dog (“as for the dog”), and putting ben right before the verb makes “I” the focus: “It’s I who will walk the dog.” Variants:
- Neutral-ish: Ben köpeği gezdiririm.
- Strong focus on “I”: Köpeği ben gezdiririm.
Why is it köpeği with -i? Why not just köpek?
-i is the accusative marker for a definite/specific direct object. Köpeği means “the dog” (a known/specific dog). Without -i (e.g., köpek gezdiririm), it sounds generic/indefinite: “I (generally) walk dogs” or “I walk a dog.”
Does köpeği mean “your dog”?
Not by itself. Köpeği here is accusative “the dog.” To say “your dog” as the object, you need the possessive + accusative: köpeğini (e.g., Sen dışarıdayken köpeğini ben gezdiririm).
Note: köpeği can also mean “his/her dog” in other contexts, but as a direct object with no possessor shown, it’s understood as “the (specific) dog.”
What tense/aspect is gezdiririm? Why not gezdiriyorum or gezdireceğim?
Gezdiririm is the aorist (general/habitual) and also used for promises/commitments and scheduled/expected actions. It fits the sense “I’ll (be the one to) walk the dog” or “I generally do it when you’re out.”
- Gezdiriyorum = present progressive (“I am walking/I’m in the middle of walking”), not right for a general rule or arrangement here.
- Gezdireceğim = definite/planned future (“I will (for sure) walk”), stronger commitment/planning.
What does gezdir- mean, and how is it different from gezmek or yürümek?
Gezmek = to stroll/wander (intransitive, you yourself stroll).
Gezdir- is the causative of gezmek: “to make someone/something stroll” → “to take (a dog, a child) for a walk.”
Yürümek = to walk (intransitive). With a dog, you don’t say the dog “walks” you; you “make it walk,” hence gezdir-. Alternatives: dolaştırmak, or the phrase (köpeği) yürüyüşe çıkarmak.
How is gezdiririm built morphologically?
Stem gezdir- + aorist -ir + 1st person singular -im → gezdir-ir-im = gezdiririm.
Why does köpeği have ğ? How do you pronounce it?
When adding a vowel-initial suffix to a word ending in k, the k often becomes ğ (soft g). So köpek + -i → köpeği. The ğ isn’t a hard “g”; it lengthens the preceding vowel: roughly “kö-peee-yi.”
If I want a stronger “I will (definitely) do it,” can I say gezdireceğim instead?
Yes. Sen dışarıdayken köpeği ben gezdireceğim emphasizes a decided future plan/commitment more than the aorist.
Can I replace köpeği with a pronoun?
Yes: Onu ben gezdiririm (“I will walk it”). With pronouns, accusative onu typically comes before the focus/verb. You could also say Ben onu gezdiririm, which is more neutral.
Does -ken carry tense, or does it depend on the main verb?
-ken/-yken is tenseless. The time reference comes from context and the main verb. You can say:
- Past: Sen dışarıdayken köpeği ben gezdirdim (I did it then).
- Present/habitual: … gezdiririm.
- Future: … gezdireceğim.
Should there be a comma after Sen dışarıdayken?
It’s optional. Many writers include a comma before the main clause: Sen dışarıdayken, köpeği ben gezdiririm. Omitting it is also acceptable in modern usage.
How would I make it formal/plural “you”?
Use siz: Siz dışarıdayken köpeği ben gezdiririm. The main clause stays 1st person singular because the walker is still “I.”
How do I say “I won’t walk the dog while you’re out”?
Use the negative aorist: Sen dışarıdayken köpeği gezdirmem. To emphasize “I (specifically) won’t,” you can say Sen dışarıdayken köpeği ben gezdirmem.
Is dışarda acceptable instead of dışarıda?
Yes, dışarda is a common colloquial variant of dışarıda. Both are understood; dışarıda is more standard. So you may hear Siz dışardayken… as well.