Learn Turkish: Doktor kontrol için bekliyor. - The doctor is waiting for a check-up.

Doktor kontrol için bekliyor.

The doctor is waiting for a check-up.

Breakdown of Doktor kontrol için bekliyor.

Questions & Answers about Doktor kontrol için bekliyor.

Why is the verb bekliyor instead of bekleyor?

The root verb is beklemek (to wait). When you add the present continuous suffix -yor to a verb root that ends in an 'a' or 'e' (like bekle-), that final vowel must change. The 'e' narrows to an 'i', making it bekliyor. This is a very common rule for present continuous verbs in Turkish.

Why is there no word for 'a' (bir) before kontrol?

In English, we have to say 'waiting for a check-up,' but Turkish often leaves out bir (a/an) when talking about a general activity or category. Saying bir kontrol için would sound a bit unnatural here unless you wanted to strongly emphasize one specific check-up.

Does için always come after the word it goes with?

Yes. Words like için (for) are called postpositions. Just like prepositions in English go before a noun ('for a check-up'), Turkish postpositions always go immediately after the noun they apply to (kontrol için).

Does this mean the doctor is going to give a check-up, or get a check-up?

Without more context, it could actually mean either! The grammar simply states that the doctor is the one doing the waiting. They could be waiting for a patient to arrive so they can examine them, or they could be a patient themselves sitting in a waiting room.