This structure is essential for expressing what you want or intend to do. In Turkish, instead of conjugating two verbs back-to-back, the first verb stays in its "infinitive" (dictionary) form, and the second verb (istemek - to want) carries the tense and person.
💡 Grammar Structure:
$$Verb + mAk + iste + Tense/Person Suffix$$
The Infinitive (mAk): Use -mak for heavy vowels (a, ı, o, u) and -mek for light vowels (e, i, ö, ü).
The verb istemek: This is the "working" verb that tells us who wants to do the action and when.
Practical Examples:
Turkish Sentence | English Translation |
Seninle konuşmak istiyorum. | I want to talk to you. |
Derya parka gitmek istemiyor. | Derya does not want to go to the park. |
Biz yarın piknik yapmak istiyoruz. | We want to have a picnic tomorrow. |
Sizinle çalışmak istiyorum. | I want to work with you. |
Nereye gitmek istiyorsunuz? | Where do you (plural/formal) want to go? |
Bugün ne yapmak istiyorsun? | What do you want to do today? |
Once you master this, you can turn any verb in the dictionary into a request or a wish! Just take the verb root, add -mak/-mek, and then decide how you feel with istiyorum.