what is it?
olarak is an adverbial particle derived from the verb ol- ("to be/become") plus the converb suffix -ArAk. It follows a bare noun or a derived adjective and signals either (a) the role or capacity in which someone or something acts, or (b) the manner expressed by an adjective that cannot function as an adverb on its own. The complement before olarak takes no case suffix.
when to use it
Role or capacity. Use olarak after a bare noun to say what role a person or thing fills: avukat olarak çalışıyor «works as a lawyer», aile olarak gittik «we went as a family».
Adverbialising derived adjectives. Adjectives formed with suffixes such as -lI, -sAl, or -lI cannot modify a verb directly. Adding olarak turns them into adverbials: yazılı olarak «in writing», bilimsel olarak «scientifically», geçici olarak «temporarily».
Fixed discourse phrases. Certain nouns combine with olarak to form connective adverbials: sonuç olarak «as a result», örnek olarak «as an example», genel olarak «generally».
formation
olarak is invariable — it never changes its form regardless of the noun or adjective it follows. The complement takes no case suffix. The structure is simply:
| complement (bare) | particle | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| avukat | olarak | as a lawyer |
| arkadaş | olarak | as a friend |
| masa | olarak | as a table |
| yazılı | olarak | in writing |
| geçici | olarak | temporarily |
| sonuç | olarak | as a result |
Because olarak is itself a converb form of olmak, you can think of avukat olarak as literally «being a lawyer (in that state)». This also explains why no case is added to the complement: it is the predicate of an embedded copular clause, not the object of a postposition.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Confusing olarak with gibi. gibi means «like» or «similar to» and expresses resemblance. olarak expresses an actual role or capacity. Compare: bir çocuk gibi davranıyor «he behaves like a child» (resemblance) vs. çocuk olarak büyüdü «he grew up as a child (in that stage of life)» (actual state). When the meaning is «in the role of», use olarak, not gibi.
Adding a case suffix to the complement. A common error is to case-mark the noun before olarak. Incorrect: avukatı olarak çalışıyor. Correct: avukat olarak çalışıyor. The complement is always bare.
Dropping olarak after derived adjectives. Derived adjectives (those ending in -lI, -sAl, etc.) cannot directly modify a verb. Incorrect: bilimsel anlattı. Correct: bilimsel olarak anlattı «explained it scientifically». olarak is the bridge that turns the adjective into a verbal modifier.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Büyükannem yıllarca dokumacı ___ çalıştı ve çok güzel halılar yaptı.
Fill in the blank with the correct form using olarak.