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The Past Tenses in Turkish - Here we describe formation and usage of the Past Perfect and Past Imperfect together with the Simple Past and Future Past Tenses... and we note that the the Past Tense Sign in Turkish is characterised by the Voiced letter -d- or its UnVoiced Equivalent -t-..

 

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The Past Tense

Was it seen..? or Was it heard...?

The Definite Past Tenses

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

The Indefinite Past Tenses

The - "Heard Tenses" - are used to transfer information that you have not actually seen yourself by inference an as such are Definite Past Tenses. We do not have an Inferential Tense as such in English (actually not many languages have on either) So we have to get the idea on inference over by other means. We 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 and 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 on the next page: About the Inferential


Formation Overview of the Past Tenses

Here are most of the past tenses in general use in daily Turkish.

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.

  1. Continuous Past: Geliyordum - I was coming
  2. Simple Past: Gelirdim - I used to come
  3. Future Past (Future in the Past): Gelecektim - I was going to come
  4. Pluperfect (Past in the Past): Gelmiştim - I had come
  5. Necessitative Past (Obligation in the Past): Gelmeliydim - I had to come
  6. Conditional Past: Gelseydim - If only I had come

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.

  1. Continuous Inferential: Geliyormuşum - It seems (they say) I am coming
  2. Future Inferential: Gelecekmişim - It seems I shall come
  3. Simple Inferential: Gelirmişim - It seems I come
  4. Necessitative Inferential: Gelmeliymişim - They say I must come

Definite Past Tense - Examples

This Tense Sign is -di- or -ti-

- 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 (see panel on right of page for a reminder on these rules..)

The Various Form of the Definite Past Perfect Tense
gelmek
Verb Stem -e-
to come
 
anlamak
Verb 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
Verb Stem -i-
to drink/smoke
 
çıkmak
Verb 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/smokedçıktınız you went out
içtilerthey drank/smokedçıktılarthey went out
görmek
Verb Stem -ö-
to see
 
koşmak
Verb 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 sawkoştunuz you ran
gördülerthey sawkoştularthey ran
gülmek
Verb Stem -ü-
to laugh
 
bulmak
Verb 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 laughedbuldunuz you found
güldülerthey laughedbuldularthey found

Indefinite Past Tense - Examples

This Tense Sign is -miş-

- The suffixes - -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 (see panel on right of page for a reminder on these rules..)

Note: - To give the sense of inference in these tabulated examples we have used the form - "must have.." as this is a usual way of showing that there is a doubt in what we are saying.
Of course as we have shown previously there are many ways of modifiying our speech in English to show the various nuances of doubt, uncertainty and heresay etc.
We must however understand that all these various modifications and nuances is inherant in the Tukish Inferential -miş- Tense itself - so the extra words of explanation are generally not requires unless clarification is required.

The Various Forms of the Indefinite Past Perfect Tense
gelmek
Verb Stem -e-
to come
 
anlamak
Verb Stem -a-
to understand
 
gelmişim
(gel-miş-im)
I must have comeanla-mış-ım
(anla-mış-ım)
I must have understood
gelmişsin
(gel-miş-sin)
you must have comeanla-mış-sın
(anla-mış-sın)
you must have understood
(o) gelmiş
(gel-miş)
he/she/it must have come(o) anla-mış
(anla-mış)
he must have understood
gelmişiz
(gel-miş-iz)
we must have comeanla-mış-ız
(anla-mış-ız)
we must have understood
gelmişsiniz
(gel-miş-siniz)
you must have comeanla-mış-sınız
(anla-mış-sınız)
you must have understood
gelmişler
(gel-miş-ler)
they must have comeanla-mış-lar
(anla-mış-lar)
they must have understood
içmek
Verb Stem -i-
to drink/smoke
 
çıkmak
Verb 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
Verb Stem -ö-
to see
 
koşmak
Verb 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
Verb Stem -ü-
to laugh
 
bulmak
Verb 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.

Past Tense Negative

An example of a verb stem ending in -a-

Negative Past Tenses - anlamamak (anlama-mak) - not to understand
Past Definite - (Seen)Past Inferential - (Heard)
anlamadımI didn't understand
I have not understood
anlamamışımI must not have understood
anlamadınyou didn't understand
you have not understood
anlamamışınyou 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 understood
anlamamışızwe must not have understood
anlamadınızyou didn't understand
you have not understood
anlamamışsınızyou must not have understood
anlamadılarthey don't understand
they have not understood
anlamamışlarthey must not have understood

An example of a verb stem ending in -e-

Negative Past Tenses - gitmemek (gitme-mek) - not to go
Past Definite - (Seen)Past Inferential - (Heard)
gitmedimI didn't go
I have not gone
gitmemişimI must not have gone
gitmedinyou didn't go
you have not gone
gitmemişsinyou 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 gone
gitmemişizwe must not have gone
gitmedinizyou didn't go
you have not gone
gitmemişsinizyou must not have gone
gitmedilerthey don't go
they have not gone
gitmemişlerthey must not have gone

An Example - A Joke in the Inferential Tense

Here we have a joke told in the Inferential Tense (shown in blue colour). The joke is not a true event and the use of the inferential belies this fact..

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.."

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 öğrtmenim."

"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."

We will not translate this joke as it could be considered a little risqué. This is because in the last line the word - alaka - revalence 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 Ttem + present tense suffix + past tense suffix (-di-) + personal ending

Positive VerbNegative Verb
gelmek (gel-mek)to comegitmemek (gitme-mek)not to go
geliyordum
(gel-iyor-du-m)
I was cominggitmiyordum
(gitm-iyor-du-m)
I wasn't going
geliyordun
 
you were cominggitmiyordun
 
you weren't going
(o) geliyordu
 
he/she/it was coming(o) gitmiyordu
 
he/she/it wasn't going
geliyorduk
 
we were cominggitmiyorduk
 
we weren't going
geliyordunuz
 
you were cominggitmiyordunuz
 
you weren't going
geliyorlardı - or -
geliyordılar
they were cominggitmiyorlardı - or -
gitmiyordılar
they weren't going

Indefinite Past Continuous Tense (the Imperfect Inferntial Tense)

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

Positive VerbNegative Verb
bilmek (bil-mek)to comeokumak (okuma-mak)not to read
biliyormuşum
(bil-iyor-muş-um)
I was knowningokumuyormuşum
(gitm-iyor-muşum)
I wasn't reading
biliyormuşsun
 
you were knowningokumuyormuşsun
 
you weren't reading
(o) biliyormuş
 
he/she/it was knowning(o) okumuyormuş
 
he/she/it wasn't reading
biliyormuşuz
 
we were knowningokumuyormuşuz
 
we weren't reading
biliyormuşsunuz
 
you were knowingokumuyormuşsunuz
 
you weren't reading
biliyorlarmış - or -
geliyormuşlar
they were knowingokumuyorlarmış - or -
okumuyormuşlar
they weren't reading

A Further Examples

Past Continuous Tense - Negative (Hearsay):

anlamamak - (it is believed) to not understand

anlamıyormuşum - it seem that I were not understanding
anlamıyormuşsun - it seem that you were not understanding
anlamıyormuş - it seem that you were not understanding
anlamıyormuşuz - it seem that you were not understanding
anlamıyormuşsunuz - it seem thatyou were not understanding
anlamıyorlarmiş - it seem that you were not understanding

gitmemek - (apparently) not to go

gitmiyormuşum - I do not think that you could have gone
gitmiyormuşsun - I do not think that you went
gitmiyormuş - I am pretty sure that he did not go
gitmiyormuşuz - I think that we did not go
gitmiyormuşsunuz - I belive that you did not go
gitmiyorlarmiş - they did not go apparently


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

Verb - Meaning
 
Positive
Definite - Indefinite
Negative
Definite - Indefinite
almak - to takealdı - almışalmadı - almamış
aramak - to look foraradı - aramışaramadı - aramamış
bitmek - to endbitti - bitmişbitmedi - bitmemiş
içmek - to drink/smokeiçti - icmişiçmedi - icmemiş
başlamak - to startbaşladı - baslamışbaşlamadı - baslamamış
çalışmak - to workçalıştı - calışmışçalışmadı - calışmamış
gelmek - to comegeldi - gelmişgelmedi - gelmemiş
görmek - to seegördü - görmüşgörmedi - görmemiş
gülmek - to laughgüldü - gülmüşgülmedi - gülmemiş
kızmak - to get angrykızdı - kızmışkızmadı - kızmamış
okumak - to readokudu - okumuşokumadı - okumamış
vermek - to giveverdi - vermişvermedi - vermemiş
yapmak - to do/makeyaptı - yapmışyapmadı - yapmamış

Examples of Questions in the Definite Past Tenses

Note that the mi? question particle follows the full verb in the Past Tense.

  1. Okula gittin mi? - Did you go to school? - Eng: Have you been to school?
  2. Okula gitmeliydin mi? [git-meli-ydin, the Necessitative] - Did you have go to school? - Eng: Did you have to go to school?
  3. Ayşe ders çalıştı mı? - Has Ayshe done her lesson?
  4. Mehmet televizyon seyrediyordu mu? - Was Mehmet watching television?
  5. Mehmet televizyonu seyrediyordu mu? - Was Mehmet watching THE television?
  6. Kemal gazete okudu mu? - Did Kemal read a newspaper? - [unspecified object]
  7. Kemal gazeteyi okudu mu? - Did Kemal read THE newspaper? - [specified object]
  8. Kemal bu gazete okudu mu? - Did Kemal read THIS newspaper? [demonstrated specific object]
  9. Serhan içki içti mi? - Did Serhan drink alchohol? - [içki = alchoholic drink]
  10. Serhan içki içiyordu mu? - Was Serhan drinking alchohol?
  11. Faruk Ankara'ya gitti mi? - Has Faruk gone Ankara?
  12. Faruk Ankara'ya gidebildi mi? - Was Faruk able to go Ankara?

The Past Perfect Tense - I had written.., you had arrived .., 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

Formation of the Past Perfect Tense

This 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

This Past Perfect Inefinite is formed by adding the Indefinite past tense suffix -miş to the Past Tense -miş form of the verb. Note that there is hearsay or doubt in the meaning of this tense as it is made indefinite and unspecific by the addition of the Past indefinite suffix in -miş

Examples of the Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect
Definite
Definite
Meaning
Past Perfect
Indefinite
Indefinite
Meaning
gelmiştim
gelmiş-tim
I had come gelmişmişim
gelmiş-mişim
(presumably)I had come
unutmuştun
unutmuş-tun
you had forgotten unutmuşmuşsun
unutmuş-muşsun
(maybe) you had forgotten
yürümüştü
yürümüş-tü
he had walked yürümüşmüş
yürümüş-müş
(possibly) he had walked
bilmiştik
bilmiş-tik
we had known bilmişmişiz
bilmiş-mişiz
(possibly) we had known
çıkmıştınız
çıkmış-tınız
you had gone outçıkşmışmışsınız
çıkmış-mışsınız
(it is thought that)you had gone out
anlamıştılar
anlamış-tılar
they had understoodanlamışmışlar
anlamış-mışlar
(it is said that)they had understood