Spontaneous decisions (-ar / -er)

In English, when a mess happens or a roommate needs a hand, we use "will" to volunteer ("I'll clean it!"). In Turkish, instead of the future tense, we use the aorist tense for these spontaneous decisions, on-the-spot offers, and immediate promises.

Forming the Aorist

Attach the aorist suffix to the verb stem, followed by a personal suffix (like -ım / -im for "I", or -sın / -sin for "you"). The aorist suffix changes based on the verb stem:

  • -r: for stems ending in a vowel (e.g., temizle-
    • -r
      • -im = temizlerim
        • I'll clean).
  • -ar / -er: for most single-syllable stems ending in a consonant (e.g., kes-
    • -er
      • -im = keserim
        • I'll cut).
  • -ır / -ir / -ur / -ür: for multi-syllable stems ending in a consonant (e.g., havalandır-
    • -ır
      • -ım = havalandırırım
        • I'll air out).

Let's see this in action by jumping in to help with some household messes.

You are tired, I will air out the room and tidy up the mess.
Sen yorgunsun, odayı ben havalandırırım, dağınıklığı toplarım.
Crumbs spilled on the floor, I will mop right away.
Yere kırıntı döküldü, ben hemen paspaslarım.
The sink got very dirty, I will clean it with the new detergent.
Lavabo çok kirlendi, onu yeni deterjanla ben temizlerim.

Dividing Chores and Making Promises

The aorist is also the natural choice when dividing up tasks on the spot.

We need to divide up the chores, I will clean the kitchen.
İşleri bölüşmemiz lazım, ben mutfağı temizlerim.
I will wash the dishes, and you will rinse them in the sink.
Bulaşıkları ben yıkarım, sen de lavaboda durularsın.
I will cut the bread, crumbs will fall, you will sweep.
Ben ekmek keserim, kırıntı dökülür, sen süpürürsün.

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