Language/Turkish/Grammar/Negation
Hi Turkish learners!😊 Negation is an important part of the Turkish language, and it can be tricky to master. In this lesson, we will look at how to use negation in Turkish.
Negative Sentences
Negative sentences are used to express a negative opinion or to deny something. In Turkish, negative sentences are formed by adding the suffix -me/-ma to the verb. For example:
| Turkish | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Gidiyor-mu? | gi-di-yo-rum | Is he/she going? |
| Gidiyor-ma. | gi-di-yo-r-ma | He/she is not going. |
In the example above, the suffix -me/-ma is added to the verb gidiyor (he/she is going) to form the negative sentence gidiyor-ma (he/she is not going).
Negative Questions
Negative questions are used to ask for confirmation of a negative statement. In Turkish, negative questions are formed by adding the suffix -mi/-mı to the verb. For example:
| Turkish | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Gidiyor-mu? | gi-di-yo-rum | Is he/she going? |
| Gidiyor-mu? | gi-di-yo-rum | Isn't he/she going? |
In the example above, the suffix -mi/-mı is added to the verb gidiyor (he/she is going) to form the negative question gidiyor-mu? (isn't he/she going?).
Double Negatives
Double negatives are used to emphasize a negative statement. In Turkish, double negatives are formed by adding the suffix -me/-ma twice to the verb. For example:
| Turkish | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Gidiyor-mu? | gi-di-yo-rum | Is he/she going? |
| Gidiyor-ma-ma. | gi-di-yo-r-ma-ma | He/she is definitely not going. |
In the example above, the suffix -me/-ma is added twice to the verb gidiyor (he/she is going) to form the double negative gidiyor-ma-ma (he/she is definitely not going).
Conclusion
Negation is an important part of the Turkish language, and it can be tricky to master. We hope that this lesson has helped you understand how to use negation in Turkish.
If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎