Breakdown of Çok acıkıyorum, kahvaltı istiyorum.
çok
very
istemek
to want / to require / to call for
kahvaltı
breakfast
acıkmak
to get hungry
Questions & Answers about Çok acıkıyorum, kahvaltı istiyorum.
In English, "hungry" is an adjective. Why does acıkıyorum look like a verb?
In Turkish, acıkmak is a verb that means "to get hungry." Instead of using "hungry" as a describing word with "I am", you use this verb in the present continuous tense (-ıyor) to express the action of "getting hungry."
The verb for "to want" is istemek. Why is it spelled istiyorum instead of "isteyorum"?
When a verb root ends in a vowel (like the e in iste-), that final vowel drops or narrows to match the continuous -iyor suffix. Here, the e changes to i for vowel harmony, giving us istiyorum.
How would I make istiyorum negative ("I don't want") using the negative suffix we are learning?
You add a negative suffix right before -yor. The negative suffix for verbs is usually -me or -ma, but the -yor ending forces that vowel to narrow to -mi, -mı, -mu, or -mü. So, iste- + me + yor + um becomes istemiyorum (I don't want).
Where is the word for "I" (ben) in this sentence?
It's built directly into the verbs! The -um ending on both acıkıyorum and istiyorum is the personal suffix for "I". You can add Ben at the start of the sentence for emphasis, but it is completely optional and usually left out in everyday Turkish.
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