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In English, when an action is the source of difficulty, delay, or persistence, we use phrases like "struggle to bend," "delay in starting," or "rush to leave." In Turkish, certain verbs require their complement—the action you are struggling with or delaying—to be in the locative case ("in/at").

### Forming the Locative Infinitive (-makta / -mekte)

To build this form, you simply attach the locative case suffix to the infinitive of the verb. Because the infinitive endings (**-mak** / **-mek**) always end in the voiceless consonant **k**, the locative suffix undergoes consonant mutation and hardens to **-ta** or **-te**.

| Infinitive | Locative Infinitive | Literal Translation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **bükmek** | **bükmekte** | in bending |
| **başlamak** | **başlamakta** | in starting |
| **esnetmek** | **esnetmekte** | in stretching |
| **olmak** | **olmakta** | in being |

*Note:* You might recognize **-makta** / **-mekte** from the formal continuous tense (where it replaces **-ıyor**). However, in this structure, it is not a tense marker. It is simply a noun phrase serving as the "location" of your struggle or delay.

### Verbs that Take Locative Infinitives

One of the most common verbs requiring this structure—especially in physical therapy or medical contexts—is **zorlanmak** (to struggle / to have difficulty). 

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Other verbs that govern the locative infinitive include **gecikmek** (to delay or be late) and **acele etmek** (to rush). You are essentially expressing that you are delayed "in" starting or rushing "in" being discharged.

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Similarly, **ısrar etmek** means "to persist" or "to insist." When you persist in performing a specific action, that action takes the locative suffix.

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You can seamlessly combine this structure with other grammar points you know, such as "even though" (**-e rağmen**) or "because" (**çünkü**), to build complex sentences about treatment and recovery.

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Locative infinitive complements (-mAktA)

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
knee	diz
to bend (something)	bükmek
The patient is still struggling to bend his right knee.	Hasta, sağ dizini bükmekte hâlâ zorlanıyor.
session (therapy, cinema)	seans
shoulder	omuz
We delayed starting the shoulder exercises after the first session.	İlk seanstan sonra omuz egzersizlerine başlamakta geciktik.
wrist / ankle	bilek
to stretch	esnetmek
Even though I struggle to stretch my left wrist, I am not giving up.	Sol bileğimi esnetmekte zorlanmama rağmen pes etmiyorum.
spine	omurga
to loosen / to relax (something)	gevşetmek
How much are you struggling to relax your spine?	Omurganızı gevşetmekte ne kadar zorlanıyorsunuz?
to be discharged (from a hospital)	taburcu olmak
gradual / progressive	aşamalı
We will not rush to be discharged; we will apply a gradual treatment.	Taburcu olmakta acele etmeyeceğiz, aşamalı bir tedavi uygulayacağız.
If you rested a little, you wouldn't struggle to bend your knee.	Biraz dinlensen, dizini bükmekte zorlanmazsın.
You will no longer struggle to stretch your shoulder.	Omzunuzu esnetmekte artık zorlanmayacaksınız.
After the second session, I did not struggle to use my wrist.	İkinci seanstan sonra bileğimi kullanmakta zorlanmadım.
I am doing gradual exercises because I am struggling to bend my spine.	Aşamalı egzersizler yapıyorum çünkü omurgamı bükmekte zorlanıyorum.
Do not persist in being discharged, you have not healed yet.	Taburcu olmakta ısrar etmeyin, henüz iyileşmediniz.
Before the exercises, I struggle to relax my muscles.	Egzersizlerden önce kaslarımı gevşetmekte zorlanıyorum.