Breakdown of Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
Questions & Answers about Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
Bitirebilmek is a single complex verb form that means “to be able to finish (something)”.
You can break it down like this:
- bit- – root meaning “to end, to be over”
- bitir- – causative form: “to make (something) end” → “to finish”
- -e- – buffer vowel to help with pronunciation
- -bil- – “can / be able to” (ability, possibility)
- -mek – infinitive ending “to …”
So bitir-e-bil-mek = “to be able to make (it) end” → “to be able to finish (it)”.
Both are possible, but they’re not exactly the same:
bitirmek = “to finish (it)”
- Bugün bu kitabı bitirmek istiyorum.
→ “I want to finish this book today.”
- Bugün bu kitabı bitirmek istiyorum.
bitirebilmek = “to be able to finish (it)”
- Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
→ “I want to be able to finish this book today.”
- Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
Using -ebil- adds the idea of ability or possibility. It suggests some doubt or challenge: you want to be in a position where finishing it is possible (time, energy, concentration, etc.), not just that you want the simple act of finishing.
The suffix -ebil- / -abil- usually expresses:
- ability – can do something
- possibility – it is possible that something will happen
- sometimes permission or politeness, depending on context
In bitirebilmek it’s closest to “to be able to finish”.
It’s similar to English can or be able to, but it’s attached directly to the verb stem:
- yapabilmek – to be able to do
- görebilmek – to be able to see
- gidebilmek – to be able to go
So bitirmek = to finish; bitirebilmek = to be able to finish.
Kitabı is “the book” in the accusative case.
- kitap – book (basic form)
- kitab-ı – “the book” as a specific direct object
In Turkish, when the object of the verb is:
- specific / definite, you add the accusative ending (-ı, -i, -u, -ü)
- non-specific / indefinite, you leave it in the bare form.
Compare:
- Bu kitabı okuyorum. – I am reading this (particular) book.
- Kitap okuyorum. – I am reading a book / books (in general).
Here, bu kitabı is clearly a specific book (“this book”), so accusative -ı is required.
There’s a small spelling/phonetic change:
- Base noun: kitap (book)
- Add accusative -ı: kitap-ı
- In pronunciation, p becomes b between vowels (a common sound change), so it’s written kitabı.
So: kitap + ı → kitabı.
You’ll see similar changes in many words ending with p, t, k, ç when you add a vowel-initial suffix:
- kitap → kitabı
- ağaç (tree) → ağacı (the tree – accusative)
- renk (color) → rengi (the color – accusative)
Bu means “this” and makes the noun more specific:
- kitabı – “the book” (some specific book, from context)
- bu kitabı – “this book” (physically or situationally close to the speaker)
You could say Bugün kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum, and it would mean:
- “I want to be able to finish the book today” (a specific book both speaker and listener know about).
With bu, you emphasize this particular book here / the one we are focusing on now.
In Turkish, the subject pronoun (ben, sen, o, etc.) is usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- istiyorum ends with -um, which marks 1st person singular (“I”).
So:
- Ben bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
- Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
Both mean: “I want to be able to finish this book today.”
The version without ben is more natural in everyday speech unless you want to emphasize I (as opposed to someone else).
İstiyorum is:
- root: iste- – “to want”
- tense/aspect: -yor- – present continuous / current time
- person ending: -um – “I”
Literally it looks like “I am wanting”, but in Turkish this is the normal way to say “I want” right now. Turkish doesn’t have a separate “simple present” for this kind of current feeling in the same way English does.
So:
- istiyorum is translated as “I want” (right now, at this time).
Because istemek (“to want”) normally takes another verb in the infinitive:
- gelmek istiyorum – I want to come
- gitmek istiyorum – I want to go
- yemek istiyorum – I want to eat
Here, that second verb just happens to be a more complex one with -ebil-:
- bitirebilmek istiyorum – I want to be able to finish
So -mek is there because bitirebilmek functions as the object of istemek, just like “to finish” in “I want to finish” is the object of “want” in English.
Yes. Turkish word order is flexible, and elements can be moved for emphasis. All these are grammatically correct:
- Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
- Bu kitabı bugün bitirebilmek istiyorum.
- Bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum bugün.
The neutral, most common version is to put time expressions like bugün near the beginning, and the main verb at the end:
- Bugün (time) bu kitabı (object) bitirebilmek istiyorum (verb).
Changing the order mostly affects what you emphasize in speech through intonation, not the basic meaning.
Yes, it’s correct, and you will hear it often.
Bugün bu kitabı bitirmek istiyorum.
→ “I want to finish this book today.”
(A straightforward wish; no special emphasis on difficulty.)Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
→ “I want to be able to finish this book today.”
(Adds a nuance of ability/possibility – there may be obstacles like time, tiredness, etc.)
So bitirebilmek subtly highlights that finishing it might not be guaranteed; you want the conditions that allow you to finish.
Morphologically, you can analyze it like this:
- Bugün – today (time adverb)
- bu – this (demonstrative adjective)
- kitab-ı – “the book” (kitap + accusative -ı)
- bitir-e-bil-mek – to be able to finish (causative + ability + infinitive)
- iste-yor-um – I want (root iste- + present -yor- + 1sg -um)
Glossed:
- Bugün – today
- bu kitabı – this (specific) book (object)
- bitirebilmek – to be able to finish
- istiyorum – I want
Overall: “I want to be able to finish this book today.”
In Turkish, when you have istemek + infinitive, the subject of the infinitive verb is normally the same as the subject of istemek, unless something else is clearly stated.
So in:
- Bugün bu kitabı bitirebilmek istiyorum.
the subject of bitirebilmek is automatically understood as “I”, because istiyorum is first person singular.
If you wanted someone else to be the one finishing, you’d have to express that in a different structure, for example with istemek plus a subordinate clause or different wording.