gelmek
/ɟelˈmec/
To come in Turkish is gelmek. Wiktionary also lists olmak.
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| gelmek | /ɟelˈmec/ |
| olmak | /oɫˈmak/ |
The verb is used to express the action of arriving or appearing.
Which one should you use?
The pack provides two forms: gelmek and olmak.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ɟelˈmec/. The sound /ɟ/ is like the [g] in argue, /m/ is like the [m] in much and /c/ is like the [k] in skew.
Did you know?
- In Turkish, olmak is not just 'to be' or 'to happen', but can also mean 'to ripen' or 'to mature', such as when fruit becomes ready to eat.
- In historical Ottoman Turkish, the verb for 'to become' was often written as olmak or bolmak, with the latter form being dominant until the late 16th century.
- Turkish speakers may use gelmek to describe the onset of a physical state, such as sleep 'coming' to someone, rather than saying they are 'getting' sleepy.
Examples in context
- Tom da gelmek istedi.Tom wanted to come, too.This sentence shows how to use gelmek to express wanting to come.Tatoeba #5499420 by duran, translation #5499273 by CK
- O hâlâ gelmek istiyor.He still wants to come.This sentence uses gelmek to describe a continuous desire to come.Tatoeba #1274834 by duran, translation #292882 by CK
- Henüz en iyisi gelmek.The best is yet to come.This sentence uses gelmek in a figurative sense to mean 'to arrive' or 'to happen'.Tatoeba #3940020 by duran, translation #1989597 by Spamster
- Gel lütfen.Please come.
- Gelir misiniz, lütfen?Would you come, please?
- Gelir misiniz?Will you come?
- Gel!Come!
- Gel bak!Come and see!
- Gel buraya!Come here!
- Gel, seni bekliyoruz!Come, we're waiting for you!
- Gel buraya, bak neler buldum!Come here, look what I found!
- 452 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Merve and Mehmet are waiting for a friend at a cafe.
- MerveSence Ahmet ne zaman gelecek?When do you think Ahmet will arrive?
- MehmetOn dakika içinde gelmek üzere olduğunu söyledi.He said he is about to arrive within ten minutes.
- MerveUmarım çok geç kalmaz.I hope he isn't too late.
- MehmetBak, işte geliyor!Look, here he comes!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “come” translations and entries gelmek, olmak, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gelmek, olmak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
