Turkish Language - The Past Tenses

Was it seen? or Was it heard?

The Definite Past Tenses
There are two Past Tenses in Turkish. The Definite Past Tenses ("Seen Tenses") are used when you have personal knowledge and witness of the action. These Definite Past tenses are like the English:
Past Perfect Tense - I have made it
Past Simple Tense - I made it
Past Imperfect Tense (Past Continuous) - I was making it
Past Pluperfect Tense - I had made it.

The Indefinite Past Tenses

The Indefinite Past Tenses ("Heard Tenses") are used, by inference, to transfer information that you have not actually seen and witnessed yourself. There is no Inferential Tense as such in English, actually not many languages have one, consequently the idea of inference is communicated by other ways. English speakers do this automatically and just a few of the ways are as follow:
I think that I went out - [doubt]
Presumably you have left - [possibility]
He has left as far as I know - [reportative]
I think that we left at - [uncertainty]
They say that you went out - [hearsay]
Its pretty sure that they have left - [probability]
All the examples above show that this tense is used whenever the speaker has not been an eyewitness to the past events. The Inferential Tense used for reporting unwitnessed events, or implying possibility, doubt or uncertainty. It is often used in telling jokes as the content of the joke is just a story.
The Inferential Tense is discussed in depth here: About the Inferential

Formation - Definite Past Tenses

The Sign of the Definite Past is the addition of the suffix -di-/-ti-, -dı-/-tı-, -dü-/-tü-, -du-/-tu- - according to Vowel harmony and Consonant Mutation Rules, to which the Personal suffixes are added.
Continuous Past: Geliyordum [Gel-iyor-dum] - I was coming
Simple Past: Gelirdim [Gel-ir-dim] - I used to come
Future Past (Future in the Past): Gelecektim [Gel-ecek-tim] - I was going to come
Pluperfect (Past in the Past): Gelmiştim [Gel-miş-tim] - I had come
- Note that the -miş suffix here does not convey any inferential meaning in the Pluperfect Tense.
Necessitative Past (Obligation in the Past): Gelmeliydim - I had to come
Conditional Past: Gelseydim [Gel-se-ydim] - If only I had come

Definite Past Tense - Examples

This Tense Sign is -di- or -ti- [when added to verb root ending in p, ç, k, t, ş
The suffixes - -dı-, -di-, -du-, -dü- or -tı-, -ti-, -tu-, -tü- - and the personal ending are added to the verb stem, in all cases Vowel harmony and Consonant Mutation rules are applied

gelmek (Stem -e-)to comeanlamak (Stem -a-)to understand
geldim (gel-di-m)I cameanladım (anla-dı-m)I understood
geldin (gel-di-n)you cameanladın (anla-dı-n)you understood
(o) geldi (gel-di)he/she/it came(o) anladı (anla-dı)he understood
geldik (gel-di-k)we cameanladık (anla-dı-k)we understood
geldiniz (gel-di-niz)you cameanladınız (anla-dı-nız)you understood
geldiler (gel-di-ler)they cameanladılar (anla-dı-lar)they understood
içmek (Stem -i-)to drink/smokeçıkmak (Stem -ı-)to go out/exit
içtim (iç-ti-m)I drank/smokedçıktım (çık-tı-m)I went out
içtinyou drank/smokedçıktın you went out
(o) içtihe drank/smoked(o) çıktıhe went out
içtikwe drank/smokedçıktıkwe went out
içtinizyou drank/smokedçıktınızyou went out
içtilerthey drank/smokedçıktılarthey went out
görmek (Stem -ö-)to seekoşmak (Stem -o-)to run
gördüm (gör-dü-m)I sawkoştum (koş-tu-m)I ran
gördünyou sawkoştunyou ran
(o) gördühe/she/it saw(o) koştuhe ran
gördükwe sawkoştukwe ran
gördünüzyou sawkoştunuzyou ran
gördülerthey sawkoştularthey ran
gülmek (Stem -ü-)to laughbulmak (Stem -u-)to find
güldüm (gül-dü-m)I laughedbuldum (bul-du-m)I found
güldünyou laughedbuldunyou found
(o) güldühe/she/it laughed(o) bulduhe found
güldükwe laughedbuldukwe found
güldünüzyou laughedbuldunuzyou found
güldülerthey laughedbuldularthey found

Indefinite Past - (Inferential) - Tenses

The Sign of the Indefinite (Inferential) Past is the addition of the suffix -miş-, -mış-, -müş-, -muş- - according to Vowel harmony and Consonant Mutation Rules, to which the Past Tense Personal suffixes are added.
Continuous Inferential: Geliyormuşum [Gel-iyor-muş-um] - It seems (they say) I am coming
Future Inferential: Gelecekmişim [Gel-ecekm-iş-im] - It seems I shall come
Simple Inferential: Gelirmişim [Gel-ir-miş-im] - It seems I come
Necessitative Inferential: Gelmeliymişim [Gel-meli-ymiş-im] - They say I must have come

The form "must have" has been used to give the sense of inference in these examples by showing that there is a doubt in what we are saying. There are many ways of modifying our speech in English to show these various nuances of doubt, uncertainty or hearsay. All these modifications and nuances are inherent in the Turkish Inferential -miş- Tense itself - so the extra words of explanation are not required for clarification purposes.

Indefinite Past Tense - Examples

The Tense Sign suffix -miş-, -mış-, -müş-, -muş- and the personal ending are added to the verb stem, in all cases Vowel harmony and Consonant Mutation rules are applied.

gelmek (Stem -e-)to comeanlamak (Stem -a-)to understand
gelmişim (gel-miş-im)I must have comeanlamışım (anla-mış-ım)I must have understood
gelmişsin (gel-miş-sin)you must have comeanlamışsın (anla-mış-sın)you must have understood
(o) gelmiş (gel-miş)he/she/it must have come(o) anlamış (anla-mış)he must have understood
gelmişiz (gel-miş-iz)we must have comeanlamı-ız (anla-mış-ız)we must have understood
gelmişsiniz (gel-miş-siniz)you must have comeanlamışsınız (anla-mış-sınız)you must have understood
gelmişler (gel-miş-ler)they must have comeanlamışlar (anla-mış-lar)they must have understood
içmek (Stem -i-)to drink/smokeçıkmak (Stem -ı-)to go out/exit
içmişim (iç-miş-im) I must have drunk/smokedçıkmışım (çık-mış-ım) I must have gone out
içmişsin  you must have drunk/smokedçıkmışsınyou must have gone out
(o) içmiş  he must have drunk/smoked(o) çıkmışhe must have gone out
içmişiz  we must have drunk/smokedçıkmışızwe must have gone out
içmişsiniz  you must have drunk/smokedçıkmışsınız  you must have gone out
içmişler  they must have drunk/smokedçıkmışlarthey must have gone out
görmek (Stem -ö)to seekoşmak (Stem -o-)to run
görmüşüm (gör-müş-üm) I must have seenkoşmuşum (koş-muş-um) I must have run
görmüşsün  you must have seenkoşmuşsunyou must have run
(o) görmüş  he/she/it must have seen(o) koşmuşhe must have run
görmüşüz  we must have seenkoşmuşuzwe must have run
görmüşsünüz  you must have seenkoşmuşsunuz you must have run
görmüşler  they must have seenkoşmuşlarthey must have run
gülmek (Stem -ü-)to laughbulmak (Stem -u-)to find
gülmüşüm (gül-müş-üm) I must have laughedbulmuşum (bul-muş-um) I must have found
gülmüşsün  you must have laughedbulmuşsunyou must have found
(o) gülmüş  he/she/it must have laughed(o) bulmuşhe must have found
gülmüşüz  we must have laughedbulmuşuzwe must have found
gülmüşsünüz  you must have laughedbulmuşsunuzyou must have found
gülmüşler  they must have laughedbulmuşlarthey must have found

Negative Forms of Past Tense

For the Perfect Past Tense Definite (Seen) the suffix -dı-, -di--, -du-, -dü- is added to the negative verb form. For the Perfect Past Tense Indefinite (Heard) the suffix -mış-, -miş-, -muş-, müş- is added to the negative verb form. In both tenses the person is then added to complete the personalized verb.

Verb stem ending in -a anlamamak [anlama-mak] - to not understand

Past Definite - (Seen)Past Inferential - (Heard)
anlamadımI didn't understand / I have not understoodanlamamışımI must not have understood
anlamadınyou didn't understand / you have not understoodanlamamışsınyou must not have understood
(o) anlamadıhe, she, it didn't understand /he has not understood(o) anlamamışhe must not have understood
anlamadıkwe didn't understand / we have not understoodanlamamışızwe must not have understood
anlamadınızyou didn't understand / you have not understoodanlamamışsınızyou must not have understood
anlamadılarthey don't understand / they have not understoodanlamamışlarthey must not have understood

Verb stem ending in -e gitmemek [gitme-mek] - to not go

Past Definite - (Seen)Past Inferential - (Heard)
gitmedimI didn't go / I have not gonegitmemişimI must not have gone
gitmedinyou didn't go / you have not gonegitmemişsinyou must not have gone
(o) gitmedihe, she, it didn't go / he has not gone(o) gitmemişhe must not have gone
gitmedikwe didn't go / we have not gonegitmemişizwe must not have gone
gitmedinizyou didn't go / you have not gonegitmemişsinizyou must not have gone
gitmedilerthey don't go / they have not gonegitmemişlerthey must not have gone

An Example - A Joke in the Inferential Tense

Here we have a joke told in the Inferential Tense. The joke is not a true event and the use of the inferential shows this. The joke may be considered a little sexist so please do not take offence, it is used merely to demonstrate the use of the inferential in Turkish.

Sınıfta öğretmen sormuş - Dalda üç kus var, birini vurdum kaç tane kalır?
Çocuk cevaplamış - Hiç kalmaz öğretmenim.
Olur mu oğlum? - demiş öğretmen - 2 tane kalır.
Olmaz öğretmenim - demiş çocuk - siz birini vurunca diğerleri aptal değil ya sesten ürküp kaçarlar...
Öğretmen sasırmış ve - Aferin oğlum! Cevabin yanlış ama düşünce tarzını beğendim. - demiş.
Sonra çocuk - Öğretmenim, ben de size bir şey sormak istiyorum: Karsıdan üç tane bayan geliyor, üçü de dondurma yiyor, ama biri yalayarak, biri ısırarak, diğeri de emerek yiyor dondurmayı. Sizce bunlardan hangisi evlidir?
Öğretmen kızmış ama, cevap veremedi dedirtmemek için belli etmemiş - Emerek yiyen evlidir - demiş.
Çocuk - Olur mu öğretmenim ne alakası var, parmağında yüzük olan evlidir - demiş, - Ama düşünce tarzınızı beğendim.

If you do want to see the English translation then hover your mouse here.

Sınıfta öğretmen sormuş - Dalda üç kus var, birini vurdum kaç tane kalır?
Çocuk cevaplamış - Hiç kalmaz öğretmenim.
Olur mu oğlum? - demiş öğretmen - 2 tane kalır.
Olmaz öğretmenim - demiş çocuk - siz birini vurunca diğerleri aptal değil ya sesten ürküp kaçarlar...
Öğretmen sasırmış ve - Aferin oğlum! Cevabin yanlış ama düşünce tarzını beğendim. - demiş.
Sonra çocuk - Öğretmenim, ben de size bir şey sormak istiyorum: Karsıdan üç tane bayan geliyor, üçü de dondurma yiyor, ama biri yalayarak, biri ısırarak, diğeri de emerek yiyor dondurmayı. Sizce bunlardan hangisi evlidir?
Öğretmen kızmış ama, cevap veremedi dedirtmemek için belli etmemiş - Emerek yiyen evlidir - demiş.
Çocuk - Olur mu öğretmenim ne alakası var, parmağında yüzük olan evlidir - demiş, - Ama düşünce tarzınızı beğendim.
In class a teacher asked - "There were three birds on a branch, I hit one - how many are left?"
A child answered - "None at all remained, sir"
"Really, my lad?" - said the teacher - "Two of them remain."
"No way, sir" - said the child - "When you hit one of them, the others not being fools, were startled by the sound and flew off.."
The teacher was surprised and - "Well done, my lad!" Your answer is wrong but I like your style." - he said
Then the child said - "Sir, I want to ask you something: There are three ladies coming opposite and they are eating ice cream, but one is licking, one eating and on sucking the ice cream. Which one do you think is married?"
The teacher got angry but not to show that he could not answer - "The one sucking is married" - he said.
The child - "Really sir? What a thing to say, the one with the ring on her finger is married" - he said - "But I like your style."

Notes:
Quotation marks (" ") are not use in the speech above. It is normal when writing Turkish to use the dash (-) instead.
We will not translate this joke as it could be considered a little risqué. This is because in the last line the word - alaka - relevance also has a secondary meaning - "having a romantic interest in.."

Some of the other Past Tenses in general use.

Definite Past Continuous Tense (the Imperfect Tense)

This is formed in a similar way to English. But the Turkish Forms are suffixed as usual - Verb stem + present tense suffix + past tense suffix (-di-) + personal ending.

Positive - gelmekto comeNegative - gitmemekto not go
geliyordum
[gel-iyor-du-m]
I was cominggitmiyordum
[gitm-iyor-du-m]
I wasn't going
geliyordunyou were cominggitmiyordunyou weren't going
(o) geliyorduhe/she/it was coming(o) gitmiyorduhe/she/it wasn't going
geliyordukwe were cominggitmiyordukwe weren't going
geliyordunuzyou were cominggitmiyordunuzyou weren't going
geliyorlardı
or - geliyordular
they were cominggitmiyorlardı
or - gitmiyordular
they weren't going
All the meanings above must be construed as witnessed (definite) - it is true.

Indefinite Past Continuous Tense (the Imperfect Inferential Tense)

This tense has no direct English equivalent. But the Turkish Forms are suffixed as usual - Verb stem + present tense suffix + inferential tense suffix -miş- + personal ending.

Positive - bilmekto comeNegative - okumamakto not read
biliyormuşum
[bil-iyor-muş-um]
(it seems that) I was knowingokumuyormuşum
[okum-uyor-muşum]
(it seems that) I wasn't reading
biliyormuşsunyou were knowingokumuyormuşsunyou weren't reading
(o) biliyormuşhe/she/it was knowing(o) okumuyormuşhe/she/it wasn't reading
biliyormuşuzwe were knowingokumuyormuşuzwe weren't reading
biliyormuşsunuzyou were knowingokumuyormuşsunuzyou weren't reading
biliyorlarmış
or - geliyormuşlar
they were knowingokumuyorlarmış
or - okumuyormuşlar
they weren't reading
All the meanings above must be construed as "hearsay" (indefinite) - It may or may not be true.

Examples of Indefinite Past/Present Continuous Tense - Negative (Hearsay)

anlamamak - to not understand
anlamıyormuşum - it seem that I was not understanding
anlamıyormuşsun - it seem that you were not understanding
anlamıyormuş - it seem that he was not understanding
anlamıyormuşuz - it seem that we were not understanding
anlamıyormuşsunuz - it seem that you were not understanding
anlamıyorlarmış - it seem that they were not understanding

Thanks to Stan Sutherland for corrections to the above - JG, 5 December 2009

gitmemek - not to go
gitmiyormuşum - I do not think that I was going
gitmiyormuşsun - I do not think that you were going
gitmiyormuş - I am pretty sure that he is not going
gitmiyormuşuz - I think that we are not going
gitmiyormuşsunuz - I believe that you are not going
gitmiyorlarmış - apparently they are not going

Some Examples of the Definite -di and Indefinite -miş Past Tenses

Turkish
Verb
English
Verb
Positive
Definite
Positive
Indefinite
Negative
Definite
Negative
Indefinite
almakto takealdıalmışalmadıalmamış
aramakto look foraradıaramışaramadıaramamış
bitmekto endbittibitmişbitmedibitmemiş
içmekto drink/smokeiçtiiçmişiçmediiçmemiş
başlamakto startbaşladıbaşlamışbaşlamadıbaşlamamış
çalışmakto workçalıştıçalışmışçalışmadıçalışmamış
gelmek to comegeldigelmişgelmedigelmemiş
görmekto seegördügörmüşgörmedi görmemiş
gülmekto laughgüldügülmüşgülmedigülmemiş
kızmakto get angrykızdıkızmışkızmadıkızmamış
okumakto readokuduokumuşokumadıokumamış
vermek to giveverdivermişvermedivermemiş
yapmak to do/makeyaptıyapmışyapmadıyapmamış

Examples of Questions in the Definite Past Tenses

Note that the mi? question particle follows the full verb in the Past Tense.
Okula gittin mi? - Did you go to school? - [Eng: Have you been to school?]
Okula gitmeli miydin? [git-meli-m-y-din, the Necessitative] - Did you have go to school? - [Eng: Did you have to go to school?]
Ayşe ders çalıştı mı? - Has Ayshe done her lesson?
Mehmet televizyon seyrediyor muydu? - Was Mehmet watching television?
Mehmet televizyonu seyrediyor muydu? - Was Mehmet watching THE television?
Kemal gazete okudu mu? - Did Kemal read a newspaper? - [unspecified object]
Kemal gazeteyi okudu mu? - Did Kemal read THE newspaper? - [specified object]
Kemal bu gazeteyi okudu mu? - Did Kemal read THIS newspaper? - [demonstrated specific object]
Serhan içki içti mi? - Did Serhan drink alcohol? - [içki = alcoholic drink]
Serhan içki içiyor muydu? - Was Serhan drinking alcohol?
Faruk Ankara'ya gitti mi? - Has Faruk gone Ankara?
Faruk Ankara'ya gidebildi mi? - Was Faruk able to go Ankara?

Thanks to Nurcan Akaltun Çiftçi for corrections to the section above - JG - May 2008 and June 2009

The Past Perfect Tense - "I had written, etc"

This tense signifies the Past in The Past. In English we say "I had done it". As an example of the Past perfect Definite Tense, or "I thought I had done it" as an example of the Past perfect Indefinite Tense.
The Past Perfect Definite is formed by adding the Definite past tense suffix to the Past Tense -miş form of the verb. Note that there is no hearsay or doubt in the meaning of this tense as it is made definite and specific by the addition of the Past definite suffix in -di

Examples of the Past Perfect Tense