How to Use the Future Tense in Turkish

Understanding the Turkish Future Tense

The future tense in Turkish is simpler than you might think. Its main purpose is to describe actions that will happen at some point in the future, much like in English.

Forming the Future Tense

The Turkish future tense is formed by adding the suffix -ecek or -acak to the verb stem, depending on vowel harmony rules.

Vowel Harmony and Suffix Selection

Turkish obeys strict vowel harmony rules, which means the suffix you use depends on the vowels in the verb stem. Turkish verbs are adjusted to accommodate these rules.

Personal Endings

Like in English, Turkish verbs indicate who will perform the action using personal endings. Here's how you adjust the suffix for each pronoun.

• Ben (I) - -eceğim/-acağım
• Sen (You singular) - -eceksin/-acaksın
• O (He/She/It) - -ecek/-acak
• Biz (We) - -eceğiz/-acağız
• Siz (You plural/formal) - -eceksiniz/-acaksınız
• Onlar (They) - -ecekler/-acaklar

Examples with Common Verbs

Let's look at some examples using common verbs to illustrate how the future tense is applied in different scenarios.

Negative Form of the Future Tense

To express that something will not happen, add the negative particle -me/-ma before the future tense suffix. Remember to adjust for vowel harmony.

Asking Questions in the Future Tense

To form questions, add the question particle mi after the future tense suffix. This particle also follows vowel harmony rules.