Negation in Turkish
Olumsuzluk
Negating a verb in Turkish is highly consistent. You simply add the negative suffix -ma / -me immediately after the verb stem, before any tense or personal markers.
Special Considerations
Negation interacts with tense markers in interesting ways:
- Present Continuous: The 'i' in -iyor often causes the 'a/e' of the negative suffix to narrow to 'ı/i/u/ü' (e.g., gelmiyor).
- Aorist (General Tense): The negative forms for 1st person singular and plural use special suffixes (-mam/-mez and -mayız/-meyiz).
- Imperative: The negative suffix is the standard way to turn a command into a prohibition (e.g., gitme - don't go).
The Negation Formula
The negative suffix must be placed before the tense suffix. The vowel of the suffix changes based on two-fold vowel harmony.
| Component | Example (Gitmek - to go) |
|---|---|
| Verb Stem | git |
| Negative Suffix | git-me |
| Tense (Past) | git-me-di |
| Person (I) | git-me-di-m |
Example Sentences
Kitabı okumadım.I did not read the book.
O, bugün gelmiyor.He/She is not coming today.
Bunu yapmamalısın.You should not do this.
Burada sigara içme!Don't smoke here!
Suffix Variations
The choice between -ma and -me depends on the last vowel of the verb stem.
| Last Vowel | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a, ı, o, u | -ma | yapmak → yapmamak |
| e, i, ö, ü | -me | gelmek → gelmemek |