Questions & Answers about Ben işe dolmuşla gidiyorum.
Do I need ben here, or could I just say İşe dolmuşla gidiyorum?
You do not need ben. Turkish often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject.
- gidiyorum = I am going / I go
- The -um part tells you it is I
So:
- Ben işe dolmuşla gidiyorum = correct
- İşe dolmuşla gidiyorum = also correct, and often more natural in everyday speech
You add ben mainly for emphasis, contrast, or clarity:
- Ben işe dolmuşla gidiyorum, o otobüsle gidiyor. = I go to work by dolmuş, he/she goes by bus.
What is işe exactly? Why does iş become işe?
İş means work.
The form işe is iş + -e, where -e is the dative case ending.
The dative case often means:
- to
- toward
- into certain destinations
So:
- iş = work
- işe = to work
In English, we use a separate word, to. In Turkish, that idea is often shown by an ending instead.
Other examples:
- eve gidiyorum = I’m going home
- okula gidiyorum = I’m going to school
- markete gidiyorum = I’m going to the market
Why is it dolmuşla? What does -la mean?