Saying "While being" with -(y)ken
To express that something happens while someone or something is in a certain state or role, attach the suffix -ken to nouns and adjectives. It translates to "while being..." or "while you are...".
Unlike most Turkish suffixes, -ken does not follow vowel harmony. It is always -ken. If the word ends in a consonant, attach it directly (asker → askerken):
| He was very lonely while he was a soldier. | O, askerken çok yalnızdı. |
If the word ends in a vowel, insert the buffer letter y (nöbetçi → nöbetçiyken):
| It is necessary to be careful while on guard duty. | Nöbetçiyken dikkatli olmak gerek. |
Using -(y)ken with locations and states
A common way to use -ken is by attaching it to a word that already has the locative suffix (-da / -de / -ta / -te). Since the locative suffix always ends in a vowel, you'll always use the buffer y (-dayken, -teyken, etc.). This means "while at [place]" or "while in [state]":
| The soldier rests while in the barracks. | Asker kışladayken dinlenir. |
| Sleeping is forbidden while on guard duty. | Nöbetteyken uyumak yasak. |
Using -(y)ken with adjectives
Attach -ken to adjectives to describe what happens while a certain condition is true:
| The guard gets cold when the weather is cold. | Nöbetçi hava soğukken üşür. |
| It is hard to manage when the unit is large. | Birlik büyükken yönetmek zor. |