Breakdown of Karnım ağrıyor, doktora gidiyorum.
doktor
doctor
gitmek
to go
ağrımak
to ache
karın
belly, abdomen
Questions & Answers about Karnım ağrıyor, doktora gidiyorum.
Why is it karnım and not "karınım"?
The dictionary word for belly is karın. In Turkish, certain two-syllable words (especially body parts) drop their second vowel when you add a suffix that starts with a vowel. So, karın plus the possessive -ım (my) becomes karnım.
Does the verb ağrıyor undergo vowel narrowing here?
No, it is simpler than that! The verb root is ağrı- (to ache), which already ends in the vowel "ı". When a verb ends in "ı", "i", "u", or "ü", you do not need the extra vowel from the -iyor suffix. You just add -yor directly to the root: ağrı- + -yor becomes ağrıyor.
Why is there an "-a" at the end of doktora?
This is the dative case suffix, which translates to "to" or "towards". Because the verb is gidiyorum (I am going), you need to show your destination. Since the last vowel in doktor is "o", we add -a to make doktora (to the doctor).
Why does gitmek (to go) start with a "d" in gidiyorum?
This is a rule called consonant softening. When a few specific verbs ending in "t", like gitmek or etmek, take a suffix starting with a vowel, the "t" softens into a "d" to make pronunciation easier. So, git- + -iyor + -um becomes gidiyorum.
Since this lesson is about necessity, how would I change the second half of this sentence to say "I need to go to the doctor"?
You would replace gidiyorum with gitmem lazım (or gitmem gerek). You take the short verbal noun gitme-, add the "my" possessive ending -m, and follow it with the necessity word lazım.
Learn Karnım ağrıyor, doktora gidiyorum and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free