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When we want to comment on an ongoing action as a fact—like saying "the fact that the tiger is looking at the zebras"—Turkish uses a continuous noun clause. In this lesson, we will use this structure to share observations during a trip to the zoo.

### The Continuous Noun Clause

To turn an ongoing action into a noun phrase, Turkish pairs a present continuous verb with the auxiliary verb *olmak* (to be).

**Subject (Genitive) + Verb (-iyor) + olması**

- **The Subject:** Takes the genitive case suffix (*-ın, -in, -un, -ün* or *-nın, -nin, -nun, -nün*), acting as the "owner" of the action.
- **The Verb:** Takes the present continuous suffix (*-iyor*) but drops all personal suffixes.
- **The Auxiliary:** *Olmak* takes the verbal noun suffix *-ma* and the 3rd person possessive *-sı*, becoming *olması*.

Literally, a phrase like "the tiger's looking being" translates to "the fact that the tiger is looking."

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### Plural and Multiple Subjects

This structure works perfectly with plural subjects or multiple subjects joined by *ve* (and). Simply apply the genitive suffix to the plural noun, or to each noun in the compound subject. The *-iyor olması* part of the clause remains exactly the same.

For example, *penguenler* (penguins) becomes *penguenlerin*, and *gergedan ve maymun* (rhinoceros and monkey) becomes *gergedanın ve maymunun*.

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Continuous noun clauses (-iyor olması)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

postposition

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstrative pronouns (bu, şu, o)

Basic question words (kim, ne)

Plural nouns (-lar, -ler)

I am and you are (-(y)ım, -sın)

We, you, and they are (-(y)ız, -sınız)

Negative statements (değil)

Yes and no questions (mı, mi, mu, mü)

Questions with 'to be' (mısın, mıyım)

Numbers 1 to 10 (bir, iki, üç)

Numbers 11 to 20 (on bir, on iki)

Numbers by tens to 100 (otuz, kırk...)

Counting objects (tane)

The locative case (-da, -de)

Consonant assimilation (-ta, -te)

Asking where (nerede)

There is / there are (var)

There is not / there are not (yok)

Asking how many (kaç)

Infinitive verbs (-mak, -mek)

Informal commands (git, gel)

Negative commands (-ma, -me)

Polite and plural commands (-In, -InIz)

Basic word order

Present continuous for consonant roots (-iyor)

Present continuous for vowel roots (-iyor)

Present continuous personal suffixes (-iyorum)

Negative present continuous (-miyor)

Present continuous questions (-iyor mu)

Future plans with present continuous

The dative case (-(y)a, -(y)e)

Consonant mutation (k, t, p, ç to ğ, d, b, c)

From or out of (-dan / -den)

Directional question words (nereye, nereden)

First and second person possessives (-(i)m, -(i)n)

Third person possessive (-(s)i)

Plural possessives (-imiz, -iniz, -leri)

The genitive case (-(n)in)

Definite noun compounds (-nin ... -si)

Indefinite noun compounds (bare noun + -(s)i)

Possessive buffer letter (n)

Spatial postpositions (içinde, üstünde)

The definite direct object (-(y)ı, -(y)i)

Object question words (kimi, neyi)

Adjectives modifying nouns

Manner and choice questions (nasıl, hangi)

Basic degree modifiers (çok, biraz)

Comparisons (daha, en)

Days of the week

Months of the year

The time question word (ne zaman)

Telling time (saat, buçuk)

Asking the time (saat kaç, saat kaçta)

Basic conjunctions (ve, ama, veya)

Causality conjunction (çünkü)

Means and accompaniment (ile, -(y)lA)

Purpose and beneficiaries (için)

Expressing desire (-mak istemek)

The past copula (-(y)DI)

The direct past tense (-DI)

Past tense personal suffixes (-DIm, -DIn)

Past tense negative (-mAdI)

Past tense questions (-DI mI)

Ordinal numbers (-(I)ncI)

Greetings and politeness

Saying 'too' (de, da)

Conversation fillers (şey, yani, hadi)

Conversational essentials

Reflexive pronouns (kendim, kendin)

Reciprocal pronouns (birbiri)

Indefinite pronouns for people (herkes, kimse)

Indefinite pronouns for things and places (her şey, hiçbir şey)

Conjunctions of consequence (bu yüzden, bu nedenle)

Correlative conjunctions (hem... hem, ne... ne)

Verbs taking the dative case (-e / -a)

Verbs taking the ablative case (-den / -dan)

Time origin (beri)

Time duration (-DIr)

Comparisons of similarity (gibi)

Comparisons of equality (kadar)

Perspectives (göre)

Verbal nouns (-mA / -mE)

Verbal nouns as objects (-mAyI / -mEyI)

Verbal nouns with the dative (-mAyA / -mEyA)

General necessity (lazım / gerek)

Personal necessity (-mAm lazım)

Third-person commands (-sIn / -sInlAr)

First person singular optative (-(y)AyIm)

Question	Answer
monkey	maymun
to cool down (to feel refreshed, become pleasantly cool)	serinlemek
It is quite interesting that the monkeys are cooling down in the pool.	Maymunların havuzda serinliyor olması oldukça ilginç.
tiger	kaplan
zebra	zebra
It scares me that the tiger is looking at the zebras.	Kaplanın zebralara bakıyor olması beni korkutuyor.
Once the zebra is scared, it is certain that the tiger is approaching.	Zebra korktu mu kaplanın yaklaşıyor olması kesin.
penguin	penguen
The penguins swimming right now is the most beautiful scenery.	Penguenlerin şu an yüzüyor olması en güzel manzara.
seal	fok
It is wonderful that the penguins and the seals are sleeping on the ice.	Penguenlerin ve fokların buzun üstünde uyuyor olması harika.
rhinoceros	gergedan
It did not surprise me that the rhinoceros is cooling down in the mud.	Gergedanın çamurda serinliyor olması beni şaşırtmadı.
hippopotamus	su aygırı
In summary, it is normal that the hippopotamus is waiting in the water all day.	Özetle, su aygırının bütün gün suda bekliyor olması normal.
camel	deve
It is a big problem that the camel is feeling cold in the winter.	Devenin kışın üşüyor olması büyük bir problem.
kangaroo	kanguru
The kangaroo bouncing as if flying makes us laugh a lot.	Kangurunun uçarcasına zıplıyor olması bizi çok güldürüyor.
It is very strange that a camel is running in the zoo.	Hayvanat bahçesinde bir devenin koşuyor olması çok garip.
It is very good that the hippopotamus and the seal are resting right now.	Su aygırının ve fokun şu an dinleniyor olması çok iyi.
In short, it is very nice that the rhinoceros and the monkey are getting along wonderfully.	Kısacası, gergedanın ve maymunun harika anlaşıyor olması çok güzel.
It is more interesting that the zebra is eating grass.	Zebranın ot yiyor olması daha ilginç.
The fact that the kangaroo is jumping surprises the child.	Kangurunun zıplıyor olması çocuğu şaşırtıyor.

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