Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum.

You can say Ben bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum, but ben is optional and often omitted unless you want to emphasize “I” (as in “I am the one who is reading more books this year.”).

How is okuyorum formed, and what tense is it?

okuyorum is:

oku- – verb root meaning “to read”
-yor – present continuous marker
-um – “I” (1st person singular ending)

So: oku-yor-um → okuyorum = “I am reading” / “I’m reading”.

This is the present continuous tense in Turkish. It can express:

an action happening right now:
Kitap okuyorum. – I am reading a book (right now).
or a current, ongoing situation or habit, often with time expressions like bu yıl, bu aralar, son zamanlarda (“this year, these days, lately”):
Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum. – I’m (in general) reading more books this year.

Why is okuyorum used instead of okurum here?

okuyorum (present continuous) and okurum (aorist/simple present) are not the same:

okuyorum – ongoing or current pattern, often temporary or specific to a period
→ Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum.
“This year I’m reading more books (than before).”
It suggests a change or a new habit for this year.
okurum – general, timeless or typical habit
→ Genelde çok kitap okurum.
“I usually read a lot of books.” / “I am someone who (as a rule) reads a lot.”

Because “this year” is a specific current period, Turkish prefers okuyorum to show a present, ongoing trend rather than a timeless habit.

Why is kitap singular in form when the meaning is “books” (plural)?

In Turkish, after many quantity words, the noun stays in the singular form, even though the meaning is plural.

çok kitap – many books / a lot of books
iki kitap – two books
daha çok kitap – more books

So kitap looks singular, but in this structure it actually means “books”.

If you said kitaplar, it would usually sound like “the books” or emphasise a particular set of books, not just “books in general.”

Why doesn’t kitap have the object ending (-ı/-i/-u/-ü)?

The direct object in Turkish takes the accusative ending only when it is definite/specific.

[Definite]:
Kitabı okuyorum. – I am reading the book / that specific book.
(kitap + ı → kitabı)
[Indefinite/general]:
Kitap okuyorum. – I am reading (a) book / (some) books.

In Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum, the idea is “more books (in general)”, not a specific set of books that you and the listener both know. So no accusative ending is used:

daha çok kitap okuyorum = I am reading more books (non-specific, in general)

If you said:

Bu yıl daha çok kitabı okuyorum.

this would sound like “This year I am reading more of the books (that we have / that we mentioned)”, i.e. more of a known set, so the object is definite.

What exactly does daha çok mean, and how is it different from çok or daha fazla?

çok = a lot / many / much
→ Bu yıl çok kitap okuyorum.
“I am reading a lot of books this year.” (no comparison)
daha = more (comparative marker: “more than before / more than X”)
daha çok = more (a greater amount)
→ Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum.
“This year I (am) read(ing) more books (than before / than last year).”
daha fazla = almost the same as daha çok, often a bit more formal or neutral
→ Bu yıl daha fazla kitap okuyorum.
Also: “I’m reading more books this year.”

So:

çok kitap – many books
daha çok kitap / daha fazla kitap – more books (than before / than some comparison point)

Is the word order “Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum” fixed, or can I move the words around?

The given order is the most natural and neutral:

Bu yıl – time expression (“this year”)
daha çok – quantity adverb (“more”)
kitap – object (“books”)
okuyorum – verb (“I am reading”)

→ Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum.

You can sometimes move elements for emphasis, but for a learner it’s safest to keep the original order. Some notes:

Daha çok kitap bu yıl okuyorum. – possible, but sounds marked; emphasizes the time “this year” at the end.
Bu yıl kitap daha çok okuyorum. – sounds unnatural; daha çok is meant to modify “books” (quantity), not “read” (frequency), so it should stay before kitap.
Daha çok kitap okuyorum bu yıl. – can be heard in speech, with extra stress, but again it’s more marked.

For clear, natural Turkish, use the original order:
Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum.

What is the difference between “Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum” and “Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyacağım”?

Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum.
Present continuous. This suggests:
- A change or pattern that is already happening this year, or
- A firmly arranged plan/decision that feels “as good as started”.
Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyacağım.
Future tense. This expresses intention or plan:
- “I will read / I’m going to read more books this year.”
- The focus is more on what you intend to do in the future.

In everyday speech, both can sometimes translate as English “I’m going to read more books this year”, but in Turkish:

okuyorum → more like “this is my current pattern / my decided habit”.
okuyacağım → more like “this is my plan / promise for the future”.

What is the difference between “Bu yıl” and “Bu sene”?

Both mean “this year” and can be used in this sentence:

Bu yıl daha çok kitap okuyorum.
Bu sene daha çok kitap okuyorum.

Nuance:

yıl – slightly more formal, common in written language, official contexts.
sene – a bit more colloquial, very common in everyday speech.

Meaning-wise here, they are interchangeable.

If I want to say “I read a lot of books this year (they’re already finished),” should I still use okuyorum?

If the reading is completed, Turkish normally uses the past tense:

Bu yıl çok kitap okudum.
“I (have) read a lot of books this year.”

Use okudum (past) when:

You’re talking about the completed result: how many books you have read so far or in a finished period.

Use okuyorum (present continuous) when:

You’re describing your current, ongoing pattern or habit in this year:
Bu yıl çok kitap okuyorum. – “This year I’m reading a lot of books (as an ongoing thing).”

If the year is already over, you must use the past:

Geçen yıl çok kitap okudum. – I read a lot of books last year.