gelerken

Gelerken is a Turkish adverbial participle form derived from the verb gelmek, meaning “to come.” It marks an action that occurs at the same time as another action in the main clause, roughly translating to “while coming” or “as someone comes.” In standard Turkish the widely used form is gelirken; gelerken is generally regarded as a regional variant or nonstandard spelling and is not preferred in formal writing.

Formation and function: The form is created by taking the verb stem gel- and adding the participle suffix -ken, yielding gelirken. The -ken clause is a subordinate, non-finite clause that typically shares the same subject as the main clause, though Turkish allows context to clarify any difference. The tense and aspect of the main clause determine the overall temporal frame, while the -ken clause provides simultaneous action.

Usage notes: Gelerken expresses a background or circumstantial action occurring during another event. It can set the scene, explain a circumstance, or connect actions smoothly. Because Turkish relies on word order and auxiliary verbs to convey tense, the gelirken clause itself does not carry full tense on its own; the main clause supplies the temporal reference.

Examples:

- O gelirken ben de oradaydım. (I was there when he came.)

- Kardeşimiz eve girerken kapı çaldı. (The doorbell rang while our brother was entering the house.)

Variant note: The spelling gelerken appears in some texts or dialectal writing but is not standard Turkish. In formal or widely accepted Turkish, gelirken is the recommended form.

See also: Turkish grammar, adverbial participles, ken suffix.