The Most Common Turkish Verbs: Essential Action Words
Verbs are the backbone of any language, and Turkish verbs are particularly central because they carry so much information. A single Turkish verb can express tense, mood, negation, and subject agreement all at once. Here are the most common ones — and how to start using them.
The Top 20 Most Common Turkish Verbs
- olmak — to be, to become
- yapmak — to do, to make
- demek — to say, to mean
- gelmek — to come
- gitmek — to go
- bilmek — to know
- vermek — to give
- almak — to take, to get, to buy
- görmek — to see
- istemek — to want
- bulmak — to find
- düşünmek — to think
- çıkmak — to go out, to come out
- bakmak — to look, to look after
- anlamak — to understand
- söylemek — to say, to tell
- kullanmak — to use
- başlamak — to start, to begin
- çalışmak — to work, to study
- gereklidir — to be necessary
How Turkish Verb Conjugation Works
Turkish verbs conjugate by adding suffixes to the root. The root is found by removing the infinitive suffix -mak/-mek. For example: gitmek → root git-.
Present continuous tense (I am going):
- gidiyorum — I am going
- gidiyorsun — You are going
- gidiyor — He/she/it is going
- gidiyoruz — We are going
- gidiyorsunuz — You (plural/formal) are going
- gidiyorlar — They are going
Notice that the same suffix pattern applies to any verb — just attach it to the root.
Negation
To negate a Turkish verb, insert -me/-ma between the root and the tense suffix:
- gidiyorum (I am going) → gitmiyorum (I am not going)
- biliyorum (I know) → bilmiyorum (I don't know)
Learn Verbs in Context
The fastest way to master Turkish verbs is to encounter them in real sentences. The Turkish Frequency Dictionary series includes the most common verbs alongside example sentences that show conjugation in natural contexts — far more effective than drilling verb tables in isolation.