Basic Converbs in Turkish

Overview

Converbs, known as zarf-fiiller in Turkish, are verb forms that function as adverbs, connecting two or more actions within a single sentence. They are one of the most distinctive features of Turkish grammar and a key reason why Turkish can express complex sequences of events without needing multiple separate sentences or conjunctions.

At the A2 level, you will learn four essential converb suffixes: -ip/-ıp (and then), -erek/-arak (by doing), -ince/-ınca (when/upon), and -meden/-madan (without doing). These four alone will dramatically expand your ability to describe how, when, and in what order things happen.

Converbs are fundamental to how Turkish works as an agglutinative language. Rather than stringing together short sentences with "and" or "then," Turkish speakers naturally chain actions using converbs. Learning to use them will make your Turkish sound noticeably more natural and fluent.

How It Works

The Four Basic Converbs

Suffix	Meaning	Vowel Harmony	Example
-ip / -ıp / -up / -üp	and then, having done	4-way	gelip (having come / coming and)
-erek / -arak	by doing, while doing	2-way (e/a)	koşarak (by running)
-ince / -ınca / -unca / -ünce	when, upon doing	4-way	gelince (when [I/you/he] come)
-meden / -madan	without doing	2-way (e/a)	görmeden (without seeing)

-ip/-ıp (Sequential Actions)

This converb links actions that happen one after another. The subject is the same for both actions, and the tense is determined by the final verb.

Stem	Converb	Full Sentence	Translation
gel-	gelip	Gelip oturdu.	He came and sat down.
al-	alıp	Alıp gitti.	He took (it) and left.
yıka-	yıkayıp	Yıkayıp kurulattım.	I washed and dried (it).

You can chain multiple -ip converbs: Gelip oturup bekledi. (He came, sat down, and waited.)

-erek/-arak (Manner/Method)

This converb describes how an action is performed — the manner or method.

Stem	Converb	Full Sentence	Translation
koş-	koşarak	Koşarak geldi.	He came running.
gül-	gülerek	Gülerek anlattı.	She told (it) laughing.
çalış-	çalışarak	Çalışarak öğrendim.	I learned by working.

-ince/-ınca (Temporal: When/Upon)

This converb marks the moment one action triggers another.

Stem	Converb	Full Sentence	Translation
gel-	gelince	Gelince aradım.	When I arrived, I called.
gör-	görünce	Görünce sevindim.	When I saw (it), I was happy.
bit-	bitince	Bitince gel.	Come when (it) finishes.

-meden/-madan (Without Doing)

This converb indicates the absence of an action.

Stem	Converb	Full Sentence	Translation
gör-	görmeden	Görmeden geçti.	He passed without seeing.
sor-	sormadan	Sormadan aldı.	He took (it) without asking.
ye-	yemeden	Yemeden gitti.	He left without eating.

Negative Converbs

Base Converb	Negative Form	Example
-ip	-meyip / -mayıp	Gelmeyip gitti. (He didn't come and left.)
-erek	-meyerek / -mayarak	Bakmayarak geçti. (He passed without looking.)
-ince	-meyince / -mayınca	Gelmeyince aradım. (When he didn't come, I called.)
-meden	Already negative	—

Examples in Context

Turkish	English	Note
Gelip gördüm.	I came and saw.	Sequential with -ip
Koşarak geldi.	He came running.	Manner with -arak
Görmeden geçti.	He passed without seeing.	Absence with -meden
Eve gelince dinlendim.	When I came home, I rested.	Temporal with -ince
Gülerek cevap verdi.	She answered laughing.	Manner
Düşünmeden konuşma.	Don't speak without thinking.	Absence + imperative
Oturup konuştuk.	We sat and talked.	Sequential
Ağlayarak anlattı.	She told it crying.	Manner
Sormadan almayın.	Don't take without asking.	Absence + formal imperative
Haberi duyunca şaşırdım.	When I heard the news, I was surprised.	Temporal
Kalkıp gitti.	He got up and left.	Sequential (common expression)
Bakmadan geçme.	Don't pass without looking.	Absence + imperative

Common Mistakes

Using -ip with Different Subjects

• Wrong: Ben gelip o gitti. (I came and he left.)
• Right: Ben geldim, o gitti. or Ben geldikten sonra o gitti.
• Why: The -ip converb requires the same subject for both actions. If the subjects differ, you need separate clauses.

Confusing -erek and -ip

• Wrong: Koşup geldi when you mean "he came by running"
• Right: Koşarak geldi.
• Why: While koşup geldi is grammatically fine (meaning "he ran and came"), koşarak geldi emphasizes the manner — that the coming was done by means of running. Choose based on whether you mean sequence or manner.

Applying Wrong Vowel Harmony to -ince

• Wrong: Gelinca
• Right: Gelince
• Why: The -ince/-ınca converb follows four-way vowel harmony. Since gel- has the vowel "e," the correct form uses -ince.

Forgetting -meden is Already Negative

• Wrong: Görmemeden
• Right: Görmeden
• Why: The -meden/-madan suffix already contains the negative meaning ("without"). Adding an extra -me is double negation and incorrect.

Usage Notes

Converbs are far more common in Turkish than their English equivalents. Where English might use "and then" or "after that" between separate sentences, Turkish naturally chains actions with -ip. Getting comfortable with converbs is a major step toward sounding natural.

The -ip converb is extremely frequent in colloquial speech. Expressions like kalkıp gitmek (to get up and leave), alıp gelmek (to bring), and dönüp bakmak (to turn and look) are practically fixed phrases.

In written Turkish, -erek/-arak is somewhat more formal than -ip/-ıp. Academic and journalistic writing favors -erek for manner descriptions.

Practice Tips

• Take any narrative you can tell in simple sentences and try combining the actions with -ip: "I woke up. I ate breakfast. I went to work." becomes Kalkıp kahvaltı edip işe gittim.
• When describing how someone does something, practice with -erek/-arak: running, laughing, crying, shouting — these manner descriptions are vivid and natural.
• Create pairs of sentences with and without -meden to practice expressing "without": Sormadan aldı vs. Sordu ve aldı.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Past Tense (-di) — you need basic verb conjugation before adding converb suffixes
• Next steps: Advanced Converbs — more complex temporal and manner converbs for B2 level