In Turkish, to describe an action that started in the past and continues today, we use DAn beri and -DIr. These function similarly to "Since" and "For" in English.
Rule: DAn beri (Equivalent to "Since")
Used for a specific starting point in time. It is always grammatically correct regardless of the context.
Structure:
$$Noun + (DAn) + beri$$
Example: Dünden beri (Since yesterday).
Example: Saat 10:00'dan beri (Since 10:00).
Rule: -DIr (Equivalent to "For")
Used for the amount of time passed. It cannot be used with specific years or month names.
Structure:
$$Noun + (DIr)$$
Example: Beş dakikadır (For/Since five minutes).
Example: Uzun zamandır (For a long time).
Key Differences at a Glance
Context | Using DAn beri | Using -DIr |
Specific Year | 2011'den beri (Correct) | 2011'dir (Incorrect ❌) |
Month Names | Mayıstan beri (Correct) | Mayıstır (Incorrect ❌) |
Time Units (Days/Years) | Günlerdir (Correct) | Günlerden beri (Correct) |
Practical Sentence Examples:
Sen ne zamandır seyahat etmiyorsun? How long (for how long) have you not been traveling?
Ondan beri konuşuyor: He has been talking since ten (o'clock).
Dört aydır çay içmiyorum: I haven't been drinking tea for four months.
Çocukluğumdan beri buradayım: I have been here since my childhood.