Passive verbs in Turkish
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Sign up for freeThe passive voice is used to emphasize the action and the object of a sentence. The passive voice is formed by adding specific suffixes.
The passive suffixes are:
- -n: is used after the verbs ending in vowels
- -in: is used after the verbs ending in 'l'
- -il : is used in all other cases
| Passive suffixes | Infinitive | Passive infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| -n | ertelemek (to delay) hazırlamak (to prepare) | ertelenmek (to be delayed) hazırlanmak (to be prepared) |
| -in, -ın, -ün, -un | almak (to buy) bilmek (to know) | alınmak (to be bought) bilinmek (to be known) |
| -il, -ıl, -ül, -ul | açmak (to open) kesmek (to cut) | açılmak (to be opened) kesilmek (to be cut) |
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.How to form the passive verb
- 1.1. Verbs ending in vowels: add '-n'
- 1.1.1.Conjugated examples
- 1.2.Verbs ending in '-l' : add ''-ın, -in, -un, -ün''
- 1.2.1.Conjugated examples
- 1.3.All other cases: add '-ıl, -il, -ul, -ül'
- 1.3.1.Conjugated examples
- 2.The agent in the passive
- 2.1.Examples
- 3.Exercises
- 3.1.Multiple choice exercise on the passive verbs in Turkish
- 3.2.Fill in the blanks exercise about the passive verbs
How to form the passive verb
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ERSEL B. 
GÜLFER O.
Pelin C. 
Necla A.
Hakan Y.
Sukran K.
Umut K.
Hande B.
Idil K.
Melisa I.
1. Verbs ending in vowels: add '-n'
When the verb root ends with a vowel, the letter '-n' is added after the verb root to convert the verb into the passive voice.
Verb root + '-n' + '-mek/mak'
| Active infinitive | Passive voice infinitive |
|---|---|
| izlemek (to watch) | izlenmek (to be watched) |
| istemek (to want) | istenmek (to be wanted) |
Conjugated examples
- Dün film izlendi. (The movie was watched yesterday.)
- Marketten iki elma isteniyor. (Two apples are wanted from the market.)
2. Verbs ending in '-l' : add ''-ın, -in, -un, -ün''
When the verb root ends with the letter '-l', one of the suffixes '-ın, -in, -un, -ün' is added after the verb root to convert the verb into the passive voice.
Verb root + 'ın/in/un/ün' + 'mek/mak'
| Last vowel of the verb root -> | a/ı | e/i | o/u | ö/ü |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Add the suffix -> | -ın | -in | -un | -ün |
| Active voice | Passive voice |
|---|---|
| silmek (to erase) | silinmek (to be erased) |
| bulmak (to find) | bulunmak (to be found) |
Conjugated examples
- Yazı silindi. (The text was erased.)
- Senin çantan bulundu. (Your bag was found.)
3. All other cases: add '-ıl, -il, -ul, -ül'
In all other cases one of the suffixes '-ıl, -il, -ul, -ül' is added after the verb root according to the verb root's last vowel.
Verb root + '-ıl, -il, -ul, -ül' + 'mek/mak'
| Last vowel of the verb root -> | a/ı | e/i | o/ö | u/ü |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Add the suffix -> | -ıl | -il | -ul | -ül |
| Active voice | Passsive voice |
|---|---|
| unutmak (to forget) | unutulmak (to be forgotten) |
| görmek (to see) | görülmek (to be seen) |
Conjugated examples
- Defter otobüste unutuldu. (The notebook was forgotten on the bus.)
- Hırsız görüldü. (The thief was seen.)
The agent in the passive
The person that performs the action of a passivized verb (agent) is expressed by the postposition 'tarafından' (by) .
- Pencere Ece tarafından kapatıldı. (The window was closed by Ece.)
- Mektup Kemal tarafından yazıldı. (The letter is written by Kemal.)
When the agent is a personal pronoun the postposition 'tarafından' takes different endings.
| The personal pronouns in passive voice | |
|---|---|
| (benim) tarafımdan | by me |
| (senin) tarafından | by you |
| (onun) tarafından | by he/she/it |
| (bizim) tarafımızdan | by us |
| (sizin) tarafınızdan | by you |
| (onların) tarafından | by them |
Examples
- Kapı (benim) tarafımdan kapatıldı. -> The door was closed by me.
- Kapı (senin) tarafından kapatıldı. -> The door was closed by you.
- Kapı (onun) tarafından kapatıldı. -> The door was closed by he/she/it.
- Kapı (bizim) tarafımızdan kapatıldı. -> The door was closed by us.
- Kapı (sizin) tarafınızdan kapatıldı. -> The door was closed by you.
- Kapı (onların) tarafından kapatıldı. ->The door was closed by them.
Exercises
- Multiple choice exercise on the passive verbs in Turkish
- Fill in the blanks exercise about the passive verbs
Multiple choice exercise on the passive verbs in Turkish
Fill in the blanks exercise about the passive verbs
Exercises
- Multiple choice exercise on the passive verbs in Turkish
- Fill in the blanks exercise about the passive verbs