Questions & Answers about Yarın kimi arıyorsun?
Why is the word for "who" kimi here instead of just kim?
Kim means "who", but here we are asking "whom" you are calling. The person being called is the direct object of the verb (the one receiving the action). In Turkish, specific direct objects take the accusative case suffix. So kim (who) gets the -i suffix to become kimi (whom).
The dictionary verb for "to call" is aramak. Why does it become arıyorsun instead of arayorsun?
The verb root is ara-. In Turkish, when a verb root ends in a wide vowel like a or e and you add the present continuous suffix -ıyor, that final vowel drops or narrows to fit vowel harmony. Here, the a changes to ı, making it arıyorsun.
Yarın means "tomorrow", but arıyorsun is in the present continuous tense ("are calling"). Can we use present tense for the future?
Yes! Just like in English ("Whom are you calling tomorrow?"), Turkish frequently uses the present continuous tense (-ıyor) to talk about fixed plans or intentions in the near future.
Is it okay to put the question word at the beginning and say Kimi yarın arıyorsun?
It would be understood, but it sounds slightly unnatural. In Turkish, the most important information or the question word usually sits right before the verb. Since you are asking "whom", kimi naturally goes right before the verb arıyorsun.
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