what is it?
The present continuous suffix -(I)yor attaches to a verb stem to express an action that is in progress right now or that happens regularly. The I in parentheses stands for a high vowel (ı, i, u, or ü) that harmonises with the last vowel of the stem. The suffix -yor itself never changes. Personal endings are then added directly after -yor to mark the subject.
when to use it
Actions in progress now. Use -(I)yor when something is happening at the moment of speaking: Kitap okuyorum. (I am reading a book.)
Habitual or repeated actions. -(I)yor also covers routines and habits: Her sabah koşuyorum. (I run every morning.) Do not assume it means only «be …ing».
All subjects. The suffix itself stays the same for every person; only the personal ending after -yor changes.
formation
The build order is: verb stem + (I) + yor + personal ending. Three phonological rules apply before you attach the suffix.
Consonant-final stems. Insert the high buffer vowel that matches the last vowel of the stem (back/front, rounded/unrounded): gel- → geliyor; otur- → oturuyor; gör- → görüyor.
Vowel-final stems. The stem's final vowel is raised to its high counterpart, then -yor follows with no extra buffer: başla- → başlıyor; oyna- → oynuyor. The low vowels a/e raise to ı/i; o/ö raise to u/ü.
t → d voicing. A small set of verbs — git-, et-, tat-, güt- — voice their final t to d before the suffix: git- → gidiyor; et- → ediyor.
The table below shows the full conjugation for gel- (to come) and git- (to go), illustrating both the buffer vowel and the t→d voicing.
| person | gel- (to come) | git- (to go) |
|---|---|---|
| ben (I) | geliyorum | gidiyorum |
| sen (you, sg.) | geliyorsun | gidiyorsun |
| o (he/she/it) | geliyor | gidiyor |
| biz (we) | geliyoruz | gidiyoruz |
| siz (you, pl.) | geliyorsunuz | gidiyorsunuz |
| onlar (they) | geliyorlar | gidiyorlar |
Vowel harmony quick reference — the buffer vowel (I) follows the last vowel of the stem: a/ı → ı, e/i → i, o/u → u, ö/ü → ü.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Not raising the stem-final low vowel. Vowel-final stems require the final vowel to be raised before -yor. Writing *başlayor is wrong; the a must raise to ı, giving başlıyor. Similarly, *oynuyor is correct, but *oynayor is not.
Choosing the wrong buffer vowel. The buffer vowel must harmonise with the stem's last vowel. *gelıyor is wrong because the stem gel- ends in the front vowel e, which requires the front high vowel i → geliyor. Use the harmony chart in the formation section as a reference.
Forgetting t → d voicing. The verbs git-, et-, tat-, güt- voice their final t to d before -(I)yor. *gitiyor and *etiyor are incorrect; the correct forms are gidiyor and ediyor. These verbs must be memorised individually.
Treating -(I)yor as only «be …ing». In Turkish, -(I)yor covers both actions in progress and habitual actions. Her sabah koşuyorum means «I run every morning», not only «I am running every morning». Context — especially time expressions like her sabah (every morning) — clarifies which reading is intended.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Ben annemle telefonda ___. (konuşmak)
Fill in the blank with the correct present continuous form of the verb in parentheses.