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How to give orders, warnings and advice in Turkish. The formal, informal and public forms of the Imperative.

About the Imperative Mood

This form of the verb is used mainly for giving direct orders, requests, suggestions and in some cases warnings, or even a mixture of all these to a second person. Some examples in English might be:

1. Look at that (you). (order)
2. Don't (you) leave your valuables in the car. (suggestion)
3. Bring me another fork please. (request)
4. Take us to Taksim Square. (order)
5. (You) Be careful in the traffic. (warning)

The Imperative does not seem so abrupt in Turkish as it is in English, and it would be difficult to upset anyone when using the Imperative.

Formation of the Imperative

Vowel harmony operates on the Imperative Suffixes.

The Imperative has no form in the first person singular or plural.

The second person singular (Familiar and Immediate - for addressing friends or showing urgency) is just the basic verb stem after removing the Infinitive Sign -mek or -mak

The third person singular adds -sin directly to the verb stem.

There are two forms of the second person plural - Formal (addressing strangers or being polite) adds -in to the verb stem and Public (for notices etc. or being extra polite) adds -iniz to the verb stem.

The third person plural add -sinler directly to the verb stem - as in the examples below.

The Imperative form of - gelmek - to come

1. Singular Persons

2. 1st. (lacking)
3. 2nd. gel - come (you)..! (familiar)
4. 3rd. gelsin - let him come..!

5. Plural Persons

6. 1st. (lacking)
7. 2nd. gelin (formal) or geliniz (public and more polite) - (you) come..!
8. 3rd. gelsinler - let them come..!

The Imperative form of - gitmemek - not to go

1. 1st. (lacking)
2. 2nd. gitme - don't go (you)..! (familiar)
3. 3rd. gitmesin - let him not go..!

4. Plural Persons

5. 1st. (lacking)
6. 2nd. gitmeyin (formal) or gitmeyiniz (public and more polite) - (you) do not go..!
7. 3rd. gitmesinler - let them not go..!

Of course Vowel Harmony operates on the Imperative Suffixes:

1. Some Examples showing Vowel Harmony

2. görsün - let him see..!
3. alın - Take (you)..!
4. bulsunlar - let them find..!
5. bulmasınlar - let them not find..!
6. onu yapmayın - Don't do it (you)..!
7. gülünüz - Laugh (you)..!

The Imperative in detail

Direct Imperative

The most direct form uses the basic verb stem itself formed by dropping the -mek or -mak suffix from the Infinitive.

This is the most direct form, it is usually used to children or for warnings and in some daily "Formula Speak"

Polite Imperative

If, however, you are speaking to someone that you do not know then the direct form is softened by the addition of the suffix -in which is subject to vowel harmony. Then the above examples thus become:

This Polite Form is used for addressing one person or a number of people in a group.

Public Imperative

This form is characterised by the addition of the suffix -iniz in its various forms. It is used mainly in Public Notices and signs and also in newspapers and on the television. The examples then become:

The Public Form is the most polite of all, and can also be used in direct conversation if you wish to be extra polite.

In all the above forms the Negative Particle -me or -ma always remains in it absolute form - ( it does not close to -mi or -mı etc.) and the Verb Stem is always accented in speech.

Some Examples

1. Yapmayın onu - Don't do that!
2. Spoken - YAPmayın onu! - Don't DO that!
3. Çiçeklere doKUNmayınız - Don't Touch the Flowers.
4. Note that this verb takes a Dative Object in -e or -a

When speaking the Imperative there is always heavy vocal stress on the Verb Stem

Third Person Imperative - Let him do.. let him not do..

About the 3rd Person Imperative - Generally

The Imperative Mood is used in issuing commands. It is formed by using the verb in its simplest, unconjugated form: Listen!..., Sit!..., Eat!....

The Imperative Mood in English occurs only in the second person, and the subject - you - is generally not expressly stated, because it is implied.

When the speaker gives a command regarding anyone else, it is still directed at the second person as though it were a request for permission, although it may be a rhetorical statement.

1. 1. Let me do the talking.
2. 2. Let us build a bridge.
3. 3. Give him an allowance.
4. 4. Let sleeping dogs lie.

Turkish is similar as it also uses the second person endings -sin/-sın/-sün/-sun and its plural forms -sinler/-sınlar/-sünler/-sunlar as a request for the third person imperative by attaching this suffix directly to the Verb stem (ie. there are no tense signs like -iyor- or -ar etc.. used)

1. baksın - let him look
2. bakmasın - let him not look
3. girsin - let him enter
4. girsinler - let them not enter

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:

olmak - to become, to happen

1. olsun - let it be
2. olmasın - let it not be

1. koşmak - to run - Singular Forms

2. koşsun - let him run
3. koşmasın - let him not run

4. koşmak - to run - Plural Forms

5. koşsunlar - let them run
6. 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

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...
Don't get mixed up.!

Some "formula speak" examples:

1. Geçmiş olsun - May it pass (from you)....

A formula used to people who are ill - ie: Get better soon.. - or to people who have had an accident or encountered a problem in life - ie: Bad luck ...

1. Kolay gelsin - May it come easy... Take it easy...

This is usally said to people who are carrying out a duty or their work..

1. Neden olmasın? - Why let it not be?

This is the same as - Why not...? - in English - See note below:

Note: I used to say - Neden yok - for - Why not..? - until it was pointed out to me the this actually means - There is no reason.........!

More About "Formula Speak"

There are many other  Formula Speak  with this aspect of the verb in daily use in Turkey and a good dictionary or phrase book will always contain them.

As the barber might say to you when he has finished cutting your hair - Sıhhatler olsun! - Good health to you..! - said to one who is having a bath, a haircut or a shave...

I think this is most known expression which is used wrongly by a lot of people. It should be - Sıhhatler olsun. Sıhhat - is the Arabic for - Sağlık. When people say this expression quickly, it sounds like - Saatler olsun But it should definitely be - Sıhhatler olsun!

Although this form of the verb appears to be of the second person in -sin it actually is not, and also it cannot be construed as so because the -sin suffix is added directly to the verb stem and not to a verb tense base (see note in previous section for explanation).

Examples of Tenses

Present Continuous Tense Base Example

1. yazıyorsun - you are writing

Simple Present Tense Base Example

1. beklersiniz - you usually wait

Examples of Third Person Imperative

But attached directly to the Basic verb Stem it becomes the - Let him.. let them.. - form of the verb.

The - Let him... - form

1. yazsın - Let him write..
2. yazmasın - Let him not write..

The - Let them... - form

1. beklesinler - let them wait..
2. beklemesinler - let them not wait..

Extended Form of the Imperative

Showing Impatience

There is another form of the imperative which can be a little petulant or sound impatient. It may be used if you have been waiting too long or in cases where notice has not been taken. This form should be used with care by the learner. It is at first best translated as: Why do you.. ? or Why don't you...?

Formation of the Extended Imperative (Showing Impatience)

The suffix -sana or -sene is added to the Positive Verb stems, this becomes -sanıza or -senize when addressing a group of people.

Positive Verb (Impatient Form)

1. Baksana - Now look here!
2. Gelsene - Come on then! or Come along!
3. Otursanıza - Oh DO sit down! or Why don't (you all) sit down!!

Here we can see that although there is only a Positive Form in Turkish we can sometimes translate it as negative in English to arrive at the meaning.

Some "Daily Turkish" Examples

Some "Formula Speak" Examples

1. Sağ ol (Sağol), Sağ olun, Sağ olunuz

This form is used a lot to thank some one for some extra service or for something that has put them out. It is far more stronger than - Teşekkür ederim - Thank you.

If for instance you ask a stranger for the time you could answer - Sağol - Stay healthy! - As a thank you for his trouble.

1. Eksik olmayın(ız) - Lit: Don't go missing!

This is used for telling someone you like their company and they should "stick around".

1. Sakın!, Sakınınız!, - Be careful! Watch out! Protect youself!
2. The Imperative of the reflexive verb - sakınmak - to avoid, to beware - is used as an interjection to warn or advise.

1. Sakın ha! - Just mind out..!, Just watch it..!
2. Onu yapmaktan Sakınınız - Be careful of doing that..!
3. Sakın bunu bir daha yapma! - Don't you ever do that (this) again!
4. This is said to warn somebody of a disaster waiting to happen!

Note: Do not mix - sakın..! - Mind..! Beware..! (undotted I) - with - sakİn (Dotted İ) - calm, quiet - as in sakİn olun! - calm down..! quieten down.!

Listen to the difference in pronunciation:

1. Sakın..! - "Watch out..!"
2. Sakİn..! - "Calm Down..!"

These are just a few of the many "Formula Speak" Imperatives in the Turkish language.