tmektedir

tmektedir is a Turkish verb form used to express ongoing action in a formal, narrative style. It corresponds to the English "is doing" and is common in written Turkish, especially in news reports, official statements, and academic prose. The form signals that an action is currently in progress and is presented with a neutral, objective tone.

Formation and use

The -mektedir suffix attaches to the verb stem to indicate present progressive aspect in the third person singular. The infinitive ending -mek or -mak is typically removed when the suffix is added. For example, etmek becomes et-mek → etmektedir ("he/she/it is doing"), yapmak becomes yap-mak → yapmaktadır ("he/she/it is doing"). The form also inflects for number, yielding et-mektedirler ("they are doing") and yapmaktadırlar, and so on. This construction is widely used across formal registers.

Contexts and nuance

tmektedir is especially common in the press, government communications, legal texts, and scholarly writing. It offers a sense of formality, distance, and objectivity, often suitable for describing ongoing processes, developments, or states without attributing speaker-driven immediacy. In everyday speech, Turkish speakers typically use the more colloquial -yor forms (e.g., yapıyor) or other less formal constructions.

Relation to other forms

Turkish has several mood and aspect forms to convey time and perspective. The -mektedir form stands out for its formal, impersonal tone in describing actions that are in progress. It can be expanded for number and person with the standard Turkish suffix system, producing forms such as etmetṫir, etmektedirler, and related constructions with other verbs.