A box to carry or flowers to water: practise a complete exchange, from introducing a favour to thanking the person. Match your wording to a friend or to someone you address more formally.
The idea
Open with Senden küçük bir ricam var to a friend, or Uygunsanız sizden bir şey rica edebilir miyim? in a more formal exchange. Then name the action: taşıyabilir misin? addresses one familiar person; taşıyabilir misiniz? addresses someone politely or several people. A useful reply accepts with Tabii or explains a limit and offers an alternative with ama. Keep the question word separate from the verb.
| Familiar address | Polite or plural address |
|---|---|
| Senden küçük bir ricam var. | Sizden küçük bir ricam var. |
| Bu kutuyu taşıyabilir misin? | Bu kutuyu taşıyabilir misiniz? |
| Kusura bakma, bugün gelemem. | Kusura bakmayın, bugün gelemem. |
Examples
- Senden küçük bir ricam var.I have a small favour to ask of you.
- Bu kutuyu benim için taşıyabilir misin?Could you carry this box for me?
- Yarın çiçeklerimi sulayabilir misiniz?Could you water my flowers tomorrow?
- Uygunsanız sizden bir şey rica edebilir miyim?If you have a moment, may I ask you for a favour?
- Tabii, kutuyu kapının yanına bırakayım.Of course, let me put the box beside the door.
- Kusura bakma, bugün gelemem ama yarın yardım edebilirim.Sorry, I cannot come today, but I can help tomorrow.
- Elbette, sabah gelip sulayabilirim.Certainly, I can come in the morning and water them.
- Çok teşekkür ederim, büyük yardım oldu.Thank you very much, that was a great help.
- Rica ederim, başka bir şeye ihtiyacın var mı?You are welcome, do you need anything else?
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Watch out
Bu kutuyu taşıyabilir miyim? asks whether I may carry the box. To ask the other person to carry it, use misin or misiniz. However, Rica edebilir miyim? is correct: I am the person asking for the favour. Choose the person by who performs the verb’s action, not by who benefits.
Try it yourself
Complete the opening with “my request”; write the missing word.
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ricam
ricam: the request belongs to the speaker. Rica ends in a vowel, so -m gives “my request”; bare rica would omit whose request it is.
Ask the other person to carry the box using the polite “you” form. Fill the gap.
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misiniz
misiniz: the listener is to carry the box and the prompt uses siz. Miyim would make the speaker the carrier; misin would change the form of address to sen.
Accept the favour request with a short word meaning “of course” or “okay”.
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Tabii / Elbette / Olur
Tabii / Elbette / Olur: each accepts the request. The following hemen taşıyayım confirms an offer to act immediately, so a refusal would contradict the reply.
Choose the option meaning that coming today is not possible, rather than that you will not come.
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gelemem
gelemem: something prevents coming today. Gelmem merely says that I do not or will not come; it does not itself express inability. Ama yarın gelebilirim offers another time.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete the opening with “my request”; write the missing word.
Ask the other person to carry the box using the polite “you” form. Fill the gap.
Accept the favour request with a short word meaning “of course” or “okay”.
Tabii / Elbette / Olur
Choose the option meaning that coming today is not possible, rather than that you will not come.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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In pairs, ask for help carrying a box or watering flowers. Give one accepting reply and one refusal with a reason and a different time. Swap roles, then repeat with a more formal form of address.