Past Continuous (-(I)yordu)
A2
Verb
The past continuous indicates actions or states that were in progress at a certain time in the past. It is formed by combining the present continuous base with past tense endings.
1. Function
The past continuous expresses:
• actions ongoing at a specific past time
• background situations in the past
• actions that were interrupted by another past event
The reference point is past, with an internal duration.
2. Formation
The past continuous is built from:
verb stem → present continuous base (-(I)yor) → past endings
The present continuous base appears as:
• -ıyor
• -iyor
• -uyor
• -üyor
according to four-way vowel harmony:
bak-ıyor-
gel-iyor-
oku-yor-
yürü-yor-
Past endings (-du / -dı / -dü / -du and their person-marked forms) attach after this base.
3. Person Endings (with a sample verb)
Using gelmek as an example:
• Ben geliyordum.
• Sen geliyordun.
• O geliyordu.
• Biz geliyorduk.
• Siz geliyordunuz.
• Onlar geliyorlardı.
Using yapmak:
• Ben yapıyordum.
• Sen yapıyordun.
• O yapıyordu.
• Biz yapıyorduk.
• Siz yapıyordunuz.
• Onlar yapıyorlardı.
These forms follow regular past tense person marking (-dum, -dun, -du, -duk, -dunuz, -dular) attached to the -yor base.
4. Consonant and Vowel Behavior
• The progressive base -yor remains invariant; the high vowel of -(I)yor does not surface separately.
• Verb stems that soften before -yor (e.g. git → gidiyor) keep this softened form in the past continuous:
git → gidiyordum
et → ediyordun
• The past endings (-dum, -dün, -duk, etc.) follow normal vowel harmony, as seen in the full forms (geliyordum, yapıyorduk).
No buffer consonant appears between -yor and the past endings.
Examples
• Geliyordum. — I was coming.
• Sen bakıyordun. — You were looking.
• O gidiyordu. — He/She was going.
• Biz çalışıyorduk. — We were working.
• Siz konuşuyordunuz. — You were speaking.
• Onlar bekliyorlardı. — They were waiting.
• Yağmur yağıyordu. — It was raining.
Notes
• The past continuous combines the present continuous base with past tense endings.
• Stem alternations (git → gidiyor, et → ediyor) are preserved in the past continuous.
• Person and number are marked by the same endings as in the simple past.
Past Continuous — FAQ (A2)
Q. What does the past continuous tense express in Turkish?
A. It expresses actions or states that were in progress at a specific time in the past, often providing background or describing an ongoing situation.
Q. How is the past continuous formed in Turkish?
A. It is formed by adding the present continuous base -(I)yor to the verb stem, followed by past tense personal endings.
Q. Is a buffer consonant used between -(I)yor and past endings?
A. No. The past tense endings attach directly to the -(I)yor base without a buffer consonant.