20 Most Common Turkish Verbs

Do you know the 20 most common Turkish verbs? Here are the top 20 commonly used verbs in Turkish language, along with their meanings and usage examples:

List of 20 Most Common Turkish Verbs

Download "Complete Turkish Course 1 A1"!

1. Olmak To be, To become

Used to describe existence or a state of being, similar to "to be" in English.

• Ben bir öğretmenim. I am a teacher.
• O bir doktor olmak istiyor. He / She wants to become a doctor.

2. Yapmak To do, To make

Used both for "to do" or "to make."

• Ödevimi yapıyorum. I am doing my homework.
• Yemek yapmak zorundayım. I have to make food.

3. Demek To say, To mean

Used for reporting speech or meaning something.

• O, "Merhaba" dedi. He / She said, "Hello."
• Bu ne demek? What does this mean?

4. Gitmek To go

Expresses movement from one place to another, like "to go."

• Okula gidiyorum. I am going to school.
• Tatile gitmek istiyorum. I want to go on vacation.

5. Gelmek To come

Expresses arrival or movement toward a place, like "to come."

• Senin yanına geliyorum. I am coming to you.
• Misafirler yarın gelecek. The guests will come tomorrow.

6. Bilmek To know

Used for knowing facts or being familiar with something.

• Ben bunu biliyorum. I know this.
• O İngilizce biliyor. "He / She knows English.

7. Almak To take, To receive, To buy

Can mean to take, to receive, or to buy depending on the context.

• Ben yeni bir telefon aldım. I bought a new phone.
• Paketini aldın mı? Did you receive your package?

8. Vermek To give

Used when giving something to someone.

• Öğretmen öğrencilere kitap verdi. The teacher gave the students a book.
• Bana kalem verir misin? Can you give me a pen?

9. Sevmek To love, To like

Used to express love or liking something/someone.

• Ben seni seviyorum. I love you.
• Ben çikolata yemeyi seviyorum. I like eating chocolate.

10. Yemek To eat

Used for consuming food.

• Biz akşam yemeği yiyoruz. We are eating dinner.
• O hiç et yemez. He / She never eats meat.

11. İçmek To drink, To smoke

Used for drinking or smoking.

• Ben bir bardak su içtim. I drank a glass of water.
• O sigara içiyor. He / She smokes cigarettes.

12. Çalışmak To work, To study

Can mean working (in a job) or studying for something.

• Ben bir şirkette çalışıyorum. I work at a company.
• Ben sınav için çalışıyorum. I am studying for the exam.

13. Anlamak To understand

Used when comprehending something.

• Ben dersi anladım. I understood the lesson.
• Ben senin ne dediğini anlamıyorum. I don’t understand what you are saying.

14. Konuşmak To speak, To talk

Used for communication, either speaking or talking.

• Sen Türkçe konuşuyor musun? Do you speak Turkish?
• Ben onunla uzun süre konuştum. I talked to him/her for a long time.

15. Bulmak To find

Used for discovering or locating something.

• Ben anahtarımı buldum. I found my key.
• Benim yeni bir iş bulmam lazım. I need to find a new job.

16. Başlamak To start, To begin

Used for initiating something, like a task or event.

• Ders 9'da başlıyor. The class starts at 9.
• Biz projeye başlamak zorundayız. We need to start the project.

17. Bakmak To look at, To watch

Refers to observing or looking at something.

• Ben pencereden dışarı bakıyorum. I am looking outside the window.
• Ben film izlerken çok dikkatli bakıyorum. I am watching the movie very carefully.

18. Kalmak To stay, To remain

Used for staying at a place or remaining in a situation.

• Biz otelde kalıyoruz. We are staying at the hotel.
• O evde kalmayı tercih etti. He / She preferred to stay at home.

19. Uyumak To sleep

Used for the act of sleeping.

20. Beklemek To wait

Used for waiting or expecting something / someone.

• Ben onu dışarıda bekliyorum. I am waiting for him/her outside.
• Bizim uzun süre beklememiz gerekiyor. We need to wait for a long time.

These 20 verbs cover a wide range of actions and are essential in everyday Turkish conversations. Mastering these verbs will allow you to express a variety of ideas and engage in more meaningful interactions in Turkish.

Become a Dem Turkish Center member!

Thanks for your interest and visiting Dem Turkish Center bookstore!