In the previous lesson, you learned how to add the present continuous suffix (-Iyor) to verbs that end in a consonant. When a verb root ends in a wide vowel (a or e), that vowel must "narrow" before you can add the continuous suffix.
Vowel Narrowing
The easiest way to find the correct suffix for a verb root ending in a or e is to use the "drop and add" trick:
- Drop the final a or e from the verb root.
- Look at the new last vowel of the root.
- Add the standard 4-way harmony suffix (-ıyor, -iyor, -uyor, or -üyor).
| Root | Drop a/e | Suffix | Result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| anla- | anl- | -ıyor | anlıyor | understands |
| iste- | ist- | -iyor | istiyor | wants |
| oyna- | oyn- | -uyor | oynuyor | is playing |
| söyle- | söyl- | -üyor | söylüyor | is saying |
| The man understands very well. | Adam çok iyi anlıyor. |
| Father wants hot coffee. | Baba sıcak kahve istiyor. |
| The child is playing a game. | Çocuk bir oyun oynuyor. |
| The young woman is singing a song. | Genç kadın bir şarkı söylüyor. |
The Exceptions: Yemek and Demek
Two verbs have a root that is just one consonant plus e: ye- (from yemek, to eat) and de- (from demek, to say). Drop the e and no vowel is left to follow for vowel harmony, so both simply take -iyor: ye- becomes yiyor and de- becomes diyor (never yeyor or deyor).
| The child is eating an apple. | Çocuk bir elma yiyor. |
| The man is saying hello. | Adam merhaba diyor. |
More Examples
Here are a few more common verbs that undergo vowel narrowing in the present continuous tense:
| Mother is cleaning the house now. | Anne şimdi ev temizliyor. |
| The girl is painting a new picture. | Kız yeni bir resim boyuyor. |
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