LingoflyThe verb "to be" is an ending
English cannot say I good: it needs am, are or is. Turkish has no such word at all. The be-tail attaches to the last word of the sentence. For example: “Ben Rusum” — I am Russian. A rule from the Turkish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English cannot say I good: it needs am, are or is. Turkish has no such word at all. The be-tail attaches to the last word of the sentence.
öğrenci (student) → öğrencisin, you are a student. iyi (fine) → iyiyim, I am fine. For he there is no tail whatsoever: O doktor, he is a doctor.
That is why the answer to how are you is one word, iyiyim. Who exactly is fine has already been said inside it.
The trap is to say ben iyi and stop there. The tail is still owed: iyiyim.
Table
| the ending | example | |
|---|---|---|
| ben | -im / -ım / -um / -üm | iyiyim |
| sen | -sin / -sın / -sun / -sün | iyisin |
| o | — | iyi |
| biz | -iz / -ız / -uz / -üz | iyiyiz |
| siz | -siniz / -sınız / -sunuz / -sünüz | iyisiniz |
By example
- Sen öğrencisinYou are a student
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Turkish verb to be as an ending?
English cannot say I good: it needs am, are or is. Turkish has no such word at all. The be-tail attaches to the last word of the sentence.
Why iyiyim and not ben iyi?
The trap is to say ben iyi and stop there. The tail is still owed: iyiyim.
How to say I am a student in Turkish?
English cannot say I good: it needs am, are or is. Turkish has no such word at all. The be-tail attaches to the last word of the sentence.
How to say I am fine in Turkish?
English cannot say I good: it needs am, are or is. Turkish has no such word at all. The be-tail attaches to the last word of the sentence.
What does it look like in a Turkish example sentence?
“Ben Rusum” — I am Russian. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.