Adverbial Clauses
B1
Clauses
These adverbial clauses connect two actions without conjunctions by showing:
repetition or gradual change
manner (how something is done)
sequence of actions
The verb in the adverbial clause is not conjugated for tense or person.
Time and person are understood from the main clause.
2. Forms
Common adverbial clause markers at this level:
–dikçe
–erek / –arak
–ip
Each suffix attaches directly to the verb stem and follows sound rules.
3. Morphology
a. –dikçe (repetition / gradual change)
Meaning:
“As long as / the more …, the more …”
Structure:
Verb stem → –DIKçe → main clause
Suffix shapes:
–dikçe / –dıkça / –dukça / –dükçe
If the verb stem ends in a voiceless consonant
(p, ç, t, k, f, s, ş, h), d → t
bak- → baktıkça
git- → gittikçe
çalış- → çalıştıkça
gel- → geldikçe
ol- → oldukça
b. –erek / –arak (manner)
Meaning:
“by doing … / while doing …”
Structure:
Verb stem → –erek / –arak → main clause
Suffix shapes:
–erek / –arak
If the verb stem ends in a vowel, –y– is added.
yürü- → yürüyerek
başla- → başlayarak
oku- → okuyarak
gül- → gülerek
koş- → koşarak
c. –ip (sequence)
Meaning:
“and then … / after doing …”
Structure:
Verb stem → –ip → main clause
Suffix shapes:
–ip / –ıp / –up / –üp
If the verb stem ends in a vowel, –y– is added.
ye- → yeyip
oku- → okuyup
söyle- → söyleyip
gel- → gelip
al- → alıp
4. Syntax
Adverbial clauses:
do not take personal endings
appear before the main verb
modify the main clause as adverbs
The subject is shared with the main clause unless stated otherwise.
5. Usage
–dikçe
Used for repeated situations or gradual change.
–erek / –arak
Used to show how an action is performed.
–ip
Used to show a sequence of actions.
Examples
–dikçe
Zaman geçtikçe her şey değişiyor.
(The more time passes, everything changes.)
Çalıştıkça daha iyi anlıyorum.
(The more I study, the better I understand.)
–erek / –arak
Gülerek konuştu.
(He spoke while smiling.)
Yavaşça yürüyerek eve gitti.
(She went home by walking slowly.)
–ip
Kapıyı açıp içeri girdi.
(He opened the door and went inside.)
Çay yapıp masaya koydu.
(She made tea and put it on the table.)
Notes
These suffixes do not mark tense or person.
The main verb carries tense and person information.
–dikçe follows consonant assimilation (D → T).
–erek / –ip require –y– after vowel-final stems.
These structures are extremely common in spoken and written Turkish.
Adverbial Clauses – FAQ (B1)
Q: What is the main function of adverbial clauses in Turkish?
A: Adverbial clauses modify the main verb by expressing time, manner, sequence, or repeated situations. They function like adverbs and add contextual meaning to the main action.
Q: Do adverbial clause verbs take tense or personal endings?
A: No, adverbial clause verbs do not take tense or personal endings. Tense and person are marked only on the main verb of the sentence.
Q: How is the subject handled in adverbial clauses?
A: The subject of the adverbial clause is usually the same as the subject of the main clause. A different subject is only expressed if it needs to be stated explicitly.