Turkish Suffixes -den beri and -dir

We add -den beri or -dir to time expressions to say that an action started in the past and is still continuing. In Turkish, we normally use the present continuous (-iyor) for these situations, whereas English often uses the present perfect or present perfect continuous. We use a time expression + -den beri / -dir to indicate the starting point or the duration of the action.

1. -den beri = since (+ a point in time)

The suffix -den changes according to:

• Vowel harmony: -den, -dan

• Consonant harmony: -ten, -tan

We use -den beri with a specific starting point in time (a year, a season, a day, etc.).

Examples:

• Biz 2023’ten beri bu dairede oturuyoruz.

→ We have been living in this flat since 2023.

• Ben geçen yazdan beri İspanyolca öğreniyorum.

→ I have been learning Spanish since last summer.

2. -dir = for (+ a period)

The suffix -dir changes according to:

• Vowel harmony: -dir, -dır, -dür, -dur

• Consonant harmony: -tir, -tır, -tür, -tur

We use -dir with a length of time (two years, five months, a few weeks, etc.).

Examples:

• Biz iki yıldır bu dairede oturuyoruz.

→ We have been living in this flat for two years.

• Ben burada henüz birkaç haftadır çalışıyorum.

→ I have been working here for just a few weeks.

Using -den beri and -dir with ek-fiil (to be)

We can also use -den beri and -dir with:

• ek-fiil simple present

• ek-fiil -miş past (with present meaning)

Examples:

• Deniz’le ben 4. sınıftan beri aynı sınıftayız.

→ Deniz and I have been in the same class since the 4th grade.

• Onlar geçen yazdan beri ayrıymış.

→ (They say) They have been separated since last summer.

Asking “How long…?” in Turkish

1. Ne kadar zamandır...?

We use ne kadar zamandır to ask how long something has been happening.

Example:

• A: Ne kadar zamandır Türkçe öğreniyorsun? B: Geçen eylülden beri./Beş aydır.

→ A: How long have you been learning Turkish? B: Since last September./For five months.

2. Kaç gündür / haftadır / aydır / yıldır...?

We can also ask using how many days/weeks/months/years.

Example:

A: Siz kaç yıldır evlisiniz? B: 14 yıldır.

→ A: How many years have you been married? B: For 14 years.

At the B1 level, we can also express “since something happened” using the suffix -diğinden beri. This is explained in a separate post. You can study it here.

This post is part of a larger lesson on the Present Continuous Tense from my book easy Turkish Grammar with Answers 1 (A1–A2). In the book, you can find other uses of the present continuous tense, along with a wide range of grammar topics with clear explanations and plenty of practice activities. 👉 Check out the book here.