The beautiful waterfall at Kursunlu.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ's - about Turkish Grammar - (SSS, Sıkça Sorulan Sorular), Vocabulary, Daily Usage and Pronounciation .. You may find the answer to that nagging question here.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

SSS - Sıkça Sorulan Sorular

Here are the questions and answers about Turkish grammar and its languguage that have puzzled our fellow turkish learners in their learning curves.

FAQ(1) How many Vowels are there in Turkish?

There are eight vowels in Turkish - A E I İ O Ö U Ü
They are usually divided into the A-Undotted Group - AIOU - and the E-Dotted Group - EİÖÜ - for Vowel Harmony purposes

FAQ(2) Why is a buffer letter sometimes -y- and at other times -n- is used?

Buffer letter -y- is only used in the Accusative (-yi as in kediyi - the cat [as verb object]) and Dative (-ye as in kediye - to the cat) when the word is not already extended by a suffix.
Buffer -y- is only used when the Accusative or Dative is suffixed to a bare noun stem in the first suffix position.
It becomes -n- when it is the second suffix which is added to the word. (kedisini - his cat [Accusative.] and kedisine - to his cat [Dative.])
Buffer Letter -n- is only used when the Accusative and Dative suffixes are in second suffix position [this is to alert the listener that a suffix is already preceding.]

The Rule is: The buffer letter -n- is used on nouns which have already been extended by the addition of a suffix.

FAQ(3) Why are some words repeated in Turkish for no apparent reason?

For instance - yavaş - means - slow. As an adjective is describes a noun - "A slow car".
But repeated - yavaş yavaş - means - slowly.
As an adverb this describes a manner of doing something. "He drove the car slowly".
There is a valid reason as adjectives when repeated, become adverbs in Turkish. This is a normal part of Turkish Grammar.

FAQ(4) What are the main differences in Turkish and English pronunciation?

The letter - C - changes in Turkish - it is pronounced as an English - J
So the English name - John is spelt Con in Turkish and the Turkish word cam - (glass material) is pronounced jam in English.
The rule is see a "c" and say a "j"

Listen to: cep, cacık, cimri

FAQ(5) Turkish has a funny letter - Ğ - with a hat on - What does it do?

This is is the turkish so-called "soft g" - (yumaşak g)
This letter is not pronounced at all at merely lengthens the preceding vowel. It is very like the silent "gh" in the English words - light, frieght, ought.. etc.
The rule is see a - ğ - with a hat on then keep it silent.

Listen to: ağa, dağ, iğne

FAQ(6) Why does - gitmek - to go - change its letter -T to a -D in - gidiyor?

Verb Root Spelling Exceptions
Only four verbs change their root spelling from -t to -d when adding a vowel :
gitmek - to go - becomes - gidiyorum - I am going etc.
ditmek - to shred - this verb is often used in recipes - becomes - didiyor - he shreds
tatmak - to taste (of) - becomes - tadiyor - it tastes (of..)
etmek - to do/perform - becomes - ediyorum - I am doing etc.

All other verbs retain their original spelling, for instance:
bİtmek - to end - bİtİyor - it is finishing - NOT bİdİyor
batmak - to sink - batıyor - it is sinking - NOT badıyor

FAQ(7) When do I use - sağ olun - instead of - teşekkür ederim - for "thankyou"?

sağ olun - be healthy, be strong - is used as - thankyou - for a service which WAS NOT NECESSARILY NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED.. or FOR WHICH SOMEONE HAS GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP YOU...
- while - teşekkür ederim - thank you (Lit: a thanking perform I - [from Arabic]). is used in normal circumstances and receiving..
The rule is - If in doubt then use - teşekkür ederim.
See Discussion on Thankyou..

See Saying Thank you

FAQ(8) What happened to the letter -e- in "demek - to say" as it becomes "diyorum - I say"

We know that the present tense sign is -iyor, we also know that if a verb stem ends in a vowel it loses this vowel (Turkish abhors two vowels togther as there are no native diphthongs) when the present tense sign is added.
So - demek - must also lose this final vowel leaving a bare verb stem as the letter d- only - hence demek becomes d-iyorum, d-iyorsun.. etc.
The same applies to all other two letter verb stems - yemek - becomes yiyorum..
Also the future tense changes demek - diyeceğim, yemek - yiyeceksin.. etc. - but this is Consonant Mutation in operation.
Discussed on the Future Tense page:

See Future Tense

FAQ(9) The INFINITIVE - realise this is a NOUN - also it is a difficult subject in Turkish and needs some study and practice.

The INFINITIVE is the NAME of a VERB - (grammatically) such as - swim (verb) - its name is "to swim" - but in English we often substitute the Gerund - swimming (which is also a noun).

1. He is going for a swim
2. We are going swimming
3. She went to swim in the sea

In all these cases anything with "swim" in it is a noun. But note there are different tenses supplied by the verb in the sentence.

If you have a noun in Turkish then you can suffix it with -de -den etc... and also make it an object with the accusative -i
You can also add the possessive suffixes -im -in -i.. etc - my, your his, etc..

1. My swimming is good
2. Mother is taking Mehmet for a swim
3. I want you to swim every day

Can you see these are all nouns....?

The -k of -mek/-mak is dropped to make the Verbal Noun - yüzme - swim, swimming, to swim
Now let us put a possessive on it:

1. yüzmem my swimming
2. yüzmen- your swimming
3. yüzmesi - his swimming
4. yüzmeniz- your swimming - (plural)
5. yüzmekleri - their swimming

Now add some suffixes:

1. yüzmemden - from my swimming my swimming
2. yüzmende - in your swimming
3. yüzmesini - his swimming - (accusative as an object)

Therefore:

1. Yüzmem iyidir - My swimming is good
2. Geçen yıl yüzmem iyiydi - My swimming was good last year. - Past tense
3. Yarin yüzmekleri iyi olacak - Tomorrow, their swimming will be good - Future Tense
4. Ali'nin yüzmesi, Mehmet'in yüzmesinden daha iyidir. - Ali's swimming is better than Mehmet's swimming..

You can of course use extended and negatives to modify the meaning..

1. Ahmet'in gelmemesini istedim - I wanted Ahmet NOT to come (lit: Ahmet's-his-not-coming wanted-I)

NOTE: (gelme-me-sİ-nİ, is in the Accusative Case as the negative verbal noun is the object of - "I wanted..")

1. Ahmet'in gelebilmesini istedim - I wanted Ahmet to be able to come....
2. Ahmet'in gelebilmesini istemedim - I did not want Ahmet to be able to come....
3. Ahmet'in gelmeyebilmesini istemedim - I did not want Ahmet NOT to be able to come....

By the way, this is an advanced subject...

See full disscussion on the Infinitive

FAQ(10) A list of common question words in Turkish.

where..? - nerede..?
where to..? - nereye..?
where from..? - nereden..?
how..? - nasıl..?
how much..? - ne kadar..?
when..? - ne zaman..?
what..? - ne..?
why..? - neden..?
what for..? - niçin..?
who..? - kim..?
which..? - hangisi..?

FAQ(11) I am having difficulty recognising the Object Participle "-dik" Please explain.

The -dik, -duk, -dık, -dük - Participle is subject to both Vowel Harmony and Consonant Mutation Rules.
So you can find -tik, -tuk, -tık, -tük.
If a further suffix with a vowel is added the the final -k is also subject to Consonant Mutation: -diği, -duğu, -dığı, -düğü or -tiği, -tuğu, -tığı, -tüğü

geldiğim zaman - When I came.., When I come.. - (gel + -diğ + -im)
uçtuğun halde - Although you fly.., Although you flew.. - (uç + -tuğ + -un)
yürüdüğü yol - The road that he walks.., The road that he walked.. - (yürü + -düğ + -ü)
bakmadığımız zaman - When we didn't/don't look.., - (bak + -ma + -dığ + -ımız)
içtiğiniz için - because you (pl. pol.) drink/drank.. - (iç + -tiğ + -iniz)
öpüştükleri zaman - When they kiss/kissed - (öpüş + -tük + -leri)

The -dik Participle is used both in the Present or Past tenses according to the sentence main verb context.

Example of Tense influenced by the Main Verb

Ali'nin geldiği zaman, çarşıya gidiyoruz

When Ali COMES we ARE GOING to the shops.

Ali'nin geldiği zaman, çarşıya gittik

When Ali CAME we WENT to the shops.

Thus it becomes that both ideas - Ali and his "coming" both become a compound Participle (verbal adjective) to describe - zaman (time). This is more suitable to the Turkish point of view than the relative when.. constuction which English uses.

See full discussion on Object Participles

FAQ(12) The Adjective of Location. -taki/-teki/-daki/-deki

The Suffix -taki/-teki/-daki/-deki

Makes an ADJECTIVE OF LOCATION - it DESCRIBES (therefore is in front of its noun) WHERE A THING ACTUALLY IS.

1. MAT-ON-WHICH-IS cat-the black colour-is.
2. is translated as..
3. KILIMDAKİ kedi kara renklidir.

The Suuffix -DAKİ - FORMS AN ADJECTIVE OF LOCATION

1. In English it is a RELATIVE PRONOUN (which is, who is...)
2. The cat WHICH IS SITTING THE MAT is black coloured.

See full discussion on -DEKİ

FAQ(13) Please explain about -ip/ıp - The Verbal suffix 0f Apposition meaning - "and, also".

As you already know GİTMEK - to go - softens to GİD- when adding a suffix which begins with a vowel as the suffix -IP does. The same goes for the verb etmek - to do which also softens to become edip, Other verbs which end in a hard consonant such as bitmek - to end retain their hard vowel thus bitip is the correct form

See All Exceptions

So PAZARA GİDİP HERŞEY SATMAK İSTİYORUM = I want to go to the market AND sell everything - is quite correct

This is the shorthand way of saying PAZARA GİDİYORUM VE HERŞEY SATMAK İSTİYORUM = I want to go to the market and I want to sell everything.

-IP does not take any other suffixes after it is used.

If the two verbs are in negative apposition (ie One is Positive and the other Negative the the particle DE - also is used.

PAZARA GİDİP DE HİÇ BIR ŞEY SATMAK İSTEMİYORUM = I want to go to the market AND (ALSO) NOT SELL ANYTHING

The -IP suffix does not only point to person, but also takes the tense and moods of the final verb.

We would like to go and see Rome = ROMA'YA GİDİP GÖRÜP İSTERIZ. (İSTERİZ = WE WOULD LIKE.., which tranfers to the two -IP verbal forms)

FAQ(14) Tell me about the Direct object Suffix - (-i/-ı/-u/-ü) (-yi/-yı/-yu/-yü) (-ni/-nı/-nu/-nü)

We have to realise that in English we make both the Subject and Object of a sentence substantive by the use of the same Definite Article - "THE" - as an example:
"THE man closed THE door"
We have learnt elsewhere that the Subject is already understood as substantive in Turkish - so it does not need a Definite Article.

In fact the Subject Definite Article - "THE" - does not exist in Turkish - there is no "THE man.." as it is already understood in context.

However there is an Object Definite Article - "THE" in Turkish which appears as the suffix:
-(y)i - (buffer letter -y is used when added to a bare noun stem ending in a vowel) -
or
-(n)i - (buffer letter -n is used when added to an already extended [suffixed] noun)
- according to Vowel harmony Rules.

"Adam kapıyı (kapı-yı) kapattı" - " THE man closed THE door"
(The -yi suffix makes the bare noun - THE DOOR - substantive as a Direct Object

"Adam kapısını (kapı-sı-nı) kapattı" - " THE man closed HIS door"
(The -ni suffix makes the extended [already suffixed] noun- HIS DOOR - substantive as a Direct Object

Some examples of Object Pointers (Accusative/Substansive Case)

1. Direct Object pointer -i for Simple Noun
2. evi boyuyorum - ev-i - I am painting the house.

1. Direct Object pointer -n-i for Extended Noun
2. evini boyuyorum - ev-i-n-i - I am painting his house.

1. Direct Object pointer -y-i for Simple Noun
2. arabayı boyuyorum - araba-y-ı - I am painting the car.

1. Possessive Pronoun -s-ı plus Direct object pointer -n-ı for Extended Noun.
2. arabasını boyuyorum - araba-s-ı-n-ı - I am painting his car

1. Possessive pronoun -ları plus Object Pointer -nı for Extended Noun.
2. arabalarını boyuyoruz. - araba-ları-n-ı - we are painting their car.

1. Possessive Pronoun -sı plus Direct object pointer -nı for Extended Noun
2. arabasını boyuyor musunuz? - araba-s-ı-n-ı - are you painting his car?

1. Possessive Pronoun -ınız plus Direct object pointer -ı for Extended Noun.
2. Mehmet, arabanızı boyamıyor mu? - araba-nız-ı - Isn't Mehmet painting your car?

1. Possessive Pronoun -si plus Direct object pointer -ni for Extended Noun.
2. kedisini aramıyor muyum? - kedi-s-i-n-i - Aren't I looking for his cat?

1. Direct Object Pointer-i
2. Beni istiyor musun? - ben -i - Do you want me?

1. Direct Object Pointer-i
2. Seni istemiyor muyum? - sen -i - Don't I want you?

This Direct Object Suffix which makes the Object substantive is one of the most difficult hurdles for English Speakers to surmount when speaking, reading and understanding the Turkish Language.

See Full Discussion on Direct Object

FAQ(15) Please describe the Turkish Language in a nutshell for me.

A Mini Nutshell Overview of the Turkish Language

Turkish See Plain English Version is characterized by vowel harmony, consonant mutation and agglutination. Postpositions are used instead of prepositions.
Thus suffixes added to the stem of the verb may indicate positive or negative forms of the passive, reflexive, causative, potential, subjunctive moods plus further additions for tense and person.
Nouns are also suffixed with possessor and case (declension). Both the subject definite article and grammatical gender are lacking. Adjectives precede their noun and do not have to agree in number or case. The sentence form is S.O.V - Subject, Object Verb.

* You can easily spell the words phonetically.
* There are no irregular verbs.
* There is only one irregular noun.
* There is no gender: He, she, or it are represented by one single pronoun.
* There is no distinction between adjectives and adverbs.
* You can convey the meaning without using verbs when you are referring to existence of something
* There is no confusion in articles as there are no definite versus indefinite articles.

See Another Version

See Full Discussion on Turkish Grammar

FAQ(16) Tell me about the Position of the Question Particle (mi? mı? mu? mü?) in sentences.

About Questions:
MI? (The question Particle) Goes after the item that you are questioning: It is NOT always the VERB that is in question.
This is the same for English.

1. Mehmet, is he going home?
2. Mehmet, eve gidiyor MU? - Question on the verb. (go - gitmek)

1. Is it home that Mehmet is going to? - Question on the Object (home - ev)
2. Mehmet, eve Mİ gidiyor?

1. It it Mehmet who is going home?
2. Mehmet Mİ, eve gidiyor? - Question on The subject (Mehmet)

See discussion on Questions

FAQ(17) Please tell me about the word - buyurun

Buyurun, Buyrun, Bururunuz

When someone wants to visit you , and asks if you have time, your positive answer will be Buyrun, which literally is an invitation and it means that the speaker will be happy to see the guest in his/her home.

When someone wants to say or ask you something you will give him the chance to speak by saying Buyrun!. This corresponds to Yes, please in English.

When you go in a store the shopkeeper will say Buyrun to you - it means May I help you? in English.

When you offer your guest something to eat or drink you bring it and say Buyrun to the guest. This corresponds to This is for you , or Help yourself, please. in English. In this usage the reply for Buyrun is Teşekkür ederim - Thank you

If you want to give way to someone at a door or you want him go first you step aside and say Buyrun It corresponds to After you in English. The reply is Teşekkür ederim

When someone at your door and wants enter you say Buyrun, and he comes in. Here it means Please come in in English.

When someone comes to visit you you offer him a seat by saying Buyrun This is Have a seat, please! in Turkish.

When you pick up the receiver to answer the phone you can either say Alo!, or Buyrun! This is Hello! in English.

See full discussion on Buyurun

FAQ(18) Please explain the -sin/-sın/-sun/-sün - suffix, I thought it always meant - "you"?.... However I find that - gelsin - means "Let him come..."

Formation of the Third Person Imperative.

Finally there is a third person form of verbs which is in wide use - especially in "formula speak". This is formed by adding -sin (singular) or -sinler (plural) directly to the basic verb stem:

Positive Verb Stem
olmak - to become, to happen
olsun - let it be

Negative Verb Stem
olmamak - not to become, not to happen
olmasın - let it not be

Further Examples
koşmak - to run - Singular Forms
koşsun - let him run
koşmasın - let him not run

koşmak - to run - Plural Forms
koşsunlar - let them run
koşmasınlar - let them not run

While in the Hamam - (Turkish Bath) you might say - Keseci gelsin - Lit: Let the masseur come - I am ready for the masseur.

Don't get mixed up.!

The Third Person Imperative ending is added directly to the verb stem - yazsın - Let him write... - but if it is added to a tense sign as in - yazıyorsun - then it is the Second Person tense sign - You are writing...
Be careful with this one..!

Hope this explains it - the whole point to understand is that if there is NO TENSE SIGN before the -sin or -sinlar then it should be translated as "Let him. (not)." or "Let them (not).."

See full discussion on the Imperative