Expressing desire (-mak istemek)

Expressing Desire (-mak istemek)

To say what you want to do, use the infinitive form of the action verb (ending in -mak or -mek) followed by istemek (to want).

Only istemek changes to match the subject and tense. The main action verb stays exactly as it is in the dictionary.

We want to travel together.
Birlikte seyahat etmek istiyoruz.
I want to rent a new car.
Yeni bir araba kiralamak istiyorum.

Saying What You Do Not Want

To say what you don't want to do, conjugate istemek in the negative. The main verb remains in the infinitive.

I do not want to help.
Yardım etmek istemiyorum.
I do not want to move now.
Şimdi taşınmak istemiyorum.

Asking Questions

To ask if someone wants to do something, use the question form of istemek.

Do you want to dance?
Dans etmek istiyor musun?
Does he want to travel every year?
Her yıl seyahat etmek istiyor mu?

You can also use question words like kim (who), hangi (which), or neden (why).

Who wants to help?
Kim yardım etmek istiyor?
Why don't you want to get married?
Neden evlenmek istemiyorsun?