Turkish Grammar › Converbs
Yinelemeli Ulaç (-(y)A … -(y)A)
Repetitive Converb
Level A2Converbs
The converb that expresses continuity by repeating the same verb twice: koşa koşa, güle güle.
In this converb the verb takes «-a, -e» and is written TWICE: koşa koşa, güle güle, ağlaya ağlaya, baka baka. The pattern says an action goes on for a long time or is repeated again and again.
The suffix obeys vowel harmony: verbs with back vowels take «-a» (koşa koşa, baka baka), verbs with front vowels take «-e» (güle güle, gide gide).
If the verb ends in a vowel, a buffer «y» comes in: ağla - ağlaya ağlaya, bekle - bekleye bekleye, oku - okuya okuya.
The two words are written SEPARATELY with nothing in between: «koşa koşa» is right, «koşakoşa» is wrong.
The difference in meaning matters: «Koşarak geldi.» describes coming once, in a particular manner; «Koşa koşa geldi.» describes running the whole way.
The pattern mostly expresses long duration and repetition: «Bekleye bekleye yoruldum.», «Ağlaya ağlaya uyudu.», «Sora sora Bağdat bulunur.»
In some set phrases two DIFFERENT verbs are used: düşe kalka, ite kaka, gide gele. These phrases are also written separately.
There are set forms in everyday language that you hear very often: «Güle güle!» (said to someone leaving), «Güle güle kullan!» (to someone who has bought something new), «Afiyet olsun, ye ye bitmiyor.»
The verb carrying the converb is not conjugated; the tense and person are read from the second verb: «Koşa koşa geldim.», «Koşa koşa geleceğiz.»
The two actions must have the same subject: the one running and the one coming are the same person.
This pattern will be taken up again at C1+ level with its idiomatic uses.
Examples
- Çocuk koşa koşa yanımıza geldi.The child came running over to us.
- Bekleye bekleye yoruldum.I got tired of waiting and waiting.
- Bebek ağlaya ağlaya uyudu.The baby cried and cried until it fell asleep.
- Bütün gün seve seve çalıştık.We worked gladly all day long.
- Yolda düşe kalka ilerledik.We made our way along the road stumbling as we went.