dinliyorum
/dinlijoɾum/from spelling rules
dinliyorum is the Turkish way to say "I am listening".
This phrase is used to tell someone that you are paying attention to what they are saying.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which uses the preposition "to" (listen to music), the Turkish verb dinlemek is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject pronoun ben (I) can be omitted in the phrase dinliyorum because the verb ending -um already identifies the speaker as "I".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /dinlijoɾum/. Follow these sounds: /i/ as in cr[ee]k, /n/ as in [n]ot, /j/ as in [y]es, /ɾ/ as in AmE a[t]om, /u/ as in c[oo]l and /m/ as in [m]uch.
Did you know?
- While dinliyorum is used for music, if you are 'listening' to a secret or eavesdropping, Turkish speakers use the verb kulak misafiri olmak, which literally means 'to be an ear guest'.
- While dinliyorum means 'I am listening', the root verb dinlemek is also used to mean 'to obey'. To 'listen' to a parent or a leader in Turkish often implies following their instructions rather than just hearing their voice.
- In a telephone conversation, a Turkish speaker might say dinliyorum to indicate they are on the line and ready for the other person to speak, acting as a verbal 'go ahead' signal.
Examples in context
- Ben country müzik dinliyorum.I am listening to country music.This sentence shows how to use dinliyorum with a type of music.Tatoeba #4823303 by deyta, translation #1665602 by Amastan
- Bu sabah senin CD'ni dinliyorum.I am listening to your CD this morning.This sentence shows how to use dinliyorum with a specific object.Tatoeba #5371620 by deyta, translation #2611956 by CM
- Müzik dinliyorum.I am listening to the music.Tatoeba #757455 by deyta, translation #256337 by CM
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Selin is telling Emre something important and wants to make sure he is paying attention.
- SelinSeni dinliyorum, anlat lütfen.I am listening to you, please tell me.
- EmreGerçekten beni dinliyor musun?Are you really listening to me?
- SelinEvet, seni can kulağıyla dinliyorum.Yes, I am listening to you intently.
- EmreTamam, o zaman dinle.Okay, then listen.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
