Learning common verbs is important when you start learning Turkish. To help you quickly improve your conversational skills, we’ve compiled the 100 most-used Turkish verbs encountered in everyday dialogue.
Familiarize yourself with these essential verbs until you know all of them without thinking! We share some tips at the end of the article to help you remember them.
List of the 100 most-used Turkish verbs
| Turkish Verb | English Translation |
|---|---|
| olmak | to be, to become |
| yapmak | to do, to make |
| gitmek | to go |
| gelmek | to come |
| almak | to take, to buy |
| vermek | to give |
| istemek | to want |
| görmek | to see |
| bilmek | to know |
| söylemek | to say, to tell |
| konuşmak | to speak, to talk |
| yemek | to eat |
| içmek | to drink |
| çalışmak | to work, to study |
| okumak | to read, to study |
| yazmak | to write |
| sevmek | to love, to like |
| düşünmek | to think |
| kalmak | to stay, to remain |
| başlamak | to start, to begin |
| bitirmek | to finish, to complete |
| anlamak | to understand |
| sormak | to ask |
| cevap vermek | to answer, to reply |
| açmak | to open |
| kapatmak | to close |
| duymak | to hear |
| dinlemek | to listen |
| oturmak | to sit, to live (reside) |
| kalkmak | to get up, to rise |
| yatmak | to lie down, to sleep |
| uyumak | to sleep |
| yürümek | to walk |
| koşmak | to run |
| taşımak | to carry |
| getirmek | to bring |
| götürmek | to take away |
| tanımak | to know (personally) |
| inanmak | to believe |
| yaşamak | to live |
| unutmak | to forget |
| hatırlamak | to remember |
| bakmak | to look |
| bulmak | to find |
| kaybetmek | to lose |
| beklemek | to wait |
| geçmek | to pass, to cross |
| durmak | to stop, to stand |
| kullanmak | to use |
| satın almak | to buy, to purchase |
| satmak | to sell |
| ödemek | to pay |
| öğrenmek | to learn |
| öğretmek | to teach |
| göstermek | to show |
| denemek | to try |
| sürmek | to drive, to last |
| tutmak | to hold, to keep |
| bırakmak | to leave, to let go |
| düşmek | to fall |
| çıkmak | to go out, to exit |
| girmek | to enter |
| çekmek | to pull, to withdraw |
| itmek | to push |
| değiştirmek | to change |
| kazanmak | to win, to earn |
| tercih etmek | to prefer |
| yardım etmek | to help |
| korkmak | to fear, to be afraid |
| üzülmek | to feel sad, to be sorry |
| sevinmek | to be happy, glad |
| gülmek | to laugh |
| ağlamak | to cry |
| hazırlamak | to prepare |
| pişirmek | to cook |
| temizlemek | to clean |
| yıkamak | to wash |
| hissetmek | to feel |
| ölmek | to die |
| doğmak | to be born |
| evlenmek | to marry |
| boşanmak | to divorce |
| büyümek | to grow |
| küçülmek | to shrink, to get smaller |
| artmak | to increase |
| azalmak | to decrease |
| aramak | to call, to search for |
| telefon etmek | to phone, to call |
| tanışmak | to meet (first time) |
| buluşmak | to meet (arranged) |
| hoşlanmak | to enjoy, to like |
| sıkılmak | to be bored |
| ziyaret etmek | to visit |
| gezmek | to tour, to wander |
| seyretmek | to watch |
| göndermek | to send |
| davet etmek | to invite |
| ulaşmak | to reach, to achieve |
| hareket etmek | to move, to act |
| planlamak | to plan |
Tips for learning these 100 Turkish verbs
Here are some tips to help you retain these verbs:
- Daily Review with Covering Technique: Revisit this list daily. Hide one of the two columns (Turkish or English) with your hand or a piece of paper and try to recall the corresponding translation. This will reinforce your memory through active recall.
- Use Flashcards for Active Practice: Create flashcards with Turkish verbs on one side and their English meanings on the other. Regularly test yourself and shuffle the cards to prevent memorization based on order.
- Incorporate Verbs into Sentences: Learning words in isolation is less effective than using them in context. Write simple sentences with each verb or try to form a short paragraph using multiple verbs from the list.
- Practice Verb Conjugations: Turkish verbs change based on tense, mood, and person. As you learn each verb, practice conjugating it in different tenses (present, past, future) to enhance your understanding. Learn how to conjugate those verbs by visiting our Conjugation category.
