Modal verbs in Turkish
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Sign up for freeModal verbs are the verbs that explain ideas such as possibility, impossibility, necessity, probability and sufficiency. In English, the words 'can, must, should, may...' are used in combination with modal verbs.
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.Can/could in Turkish: -(y)ebil
- 1.1.Adding the letter 'y'
- 1.1.1.Example table
- 1.2.Expressing the impossibility
- 2.Should/must in Turkish: -meli,-malı
- 2.1.Necessity expressed with 'gerek/lazım'
- 2.2.Necessity expressed with 'zorunda'
- 2.2.1.Example table
- 3.Exercises
- 3.1.Multiple choice exercise on the modal verbs in Turkish
- 3.2.Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish
- 3.3.Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish 2
1. Can/could in Turkish: -(y)ebil
The suffix -(y)ebil or -(y)abil are used to show ability and possibility according to the vowel harmony rules. In English, the word 'can' and past form of it 'could' are used to express a possibility.
Verb root + -(y)ebil/-(y)abil + case suffix + personal suffix
| Last vowel of the verb | Use |
|---|---|
| a, ı, o, u | -(y)abil |
| e, i, ö, ü | -(y)ebil |
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Eyyup C. 
Refik A.
Deniz Y.
Hasan A.
Su G.
Oğuzhan Ç.
Emine A. 
Fatih K.
Merve P. 
Ozgen T.
Adding the letter 'y'
The letter 'y' is added before the '-ebil/-abil' if the verb root ends in vowel.
- yürümek (to walk): Parka yürüyebilirdin. (You could walk to the park.)
- anlamak (to understand): Seni anlayabiliyorum. (I can understand you.)
Example table
| The verb | Turkish sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| gelmek (to come) | Seninle gelebilirim. | I can come with you. |
| sürmek (to drive) | Onlar araba sürebilirler. | They can drive a car. |
| çalışmak (to work) | Birlikte çalışabiliriz. | We can work together. |
| konuşmak (to talk) | Benimle konuşabilirsin. | You can talk with me. |
Expressing the impossibility
The suffix '-(y)eme or -(y)ama' is used to express the impossibility.
- O iyi şarkı söyleyemez. (She can't sing well.)
- Bu havada koşamam. (I can't run when it's raining.)
2. Should/must in Turkish: -meli,-malı
The suffixes '-meli/-malı' are used to show necessity. In English, the words 'must', 'have to' and 'should' are used to express a necessity.
Verb root + -meli/-malı + case suffix + personal suffix
| Last vowel of the verb | Use |
|---|---|
| a, ı, o, u | -malı |
| e, i, ö , ü | -meli |
Necessity expressed with 'gerek/lazım'
One of the words 'gerek/lazım' are also used to express necessity.
- Eve gitmem gerek / lazım. = Eve gitmeliyim. (I need to go to home.)
- Ödevini yapman gerek / lazım. = Ödevini yapmalısın. (You should/need to do your homework.)
Necessity expressed with 'zorunda'
Lastly, the word '-mek/mak zorunda' is used to express necessity.
If we compare, the word 'lazim/gerek' means "need to do something" and 'zorunda' is "have to do something,"
- Eve gitmek zorundayım. (I have to go home.)
- Ödevini yapmak zorundasın. (You have to do your homework.)
Example table
| The verb | Turkish sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| öğrenmek (to learn) | Fransızca öğrenmelisin. | You should/must learn French. |
| gelmek (to come) | Bizimle gelmeli. | He should/must come with us. |
| okumak (to read) | Bu kitabı okumalıyım. | I should/must read this book. |
| uyumak (to sleep) | Erken uyumalısın. | You should/must sleep early. |
Exercises
- Multiple choice exercise on the modal verbs in Turkish
- Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish
- Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish 2
Multiple choice exercise on the modal verbs in Turkish
Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish
Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish 2
Exercises
- Multiple choice exercise on the modal verbs in Turkish
- Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish
- Fill in the blanks exercise about the modal verbs in Turkish 2