A pair can include two qualities, exclude two events or present alternatives. At B2, the key is to show exactly which phrases or clauses belong together, not just remember three translations.
The idea
Put each marker before the whole unit it introduces. Hem…hem (de)… includes both units; ne…ne (de)… excludes both; ya…ya (da)… presents alternatives. Match their grammatical roles: two adjectives, two case-marked phrases or two clauses. In hem müdüre hem de yardımcısına, both recipients take the dative. With two clauses, each can have its own verb. Write hem de, ne de and ya da separately; the added particles here are de, de and da respectively.
| Pair | Extended form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hem…hem… | hem…hem de… | Hem okuyor hem de not alıyor. |
| ne…ne… | ne…ne de… | Ne konuşuyor ne de gülümsüyor. |
| ya…ya… | ya…ya da… | Ya burada bekle ya da eve dön. |
Examples
- Bu çanta hem hafif hem sağlam.This bag is both light and sturdy.
- Bu cihaz ne ses ne ışık veriyor.This device emits neither sound nor light.
- Ya bugün ya yarın yola çıkacağız.We will set off either today or tomorrow.
- Hem raporu bitirdik hem de sunumu hazırladık.We finished the report and also prepared the presentation.
- Ne kapıyı açtım ne de zili duydum.I neither opened the door nor heard the bell.
- Ya dosyayı şimdi gönder ya da toplantıya getir.Either send the file now or bring it to the meeting.
- Hem müdüre hem de yardımcısına haber verdik.We informed both the manager and their assistant.
- Hem kütüphanede çalışıyorum hem de evde notlarımı düzenliyorum.I both work in the library and organise my notes at home.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
Do not add a negative verb automatically just because your translation contains “neither”. In the neutral statements practised here, ne…ne gives a negative meaning with an affirmative verb form: Ne kapıyı açtım ne de zili duydum. Negative predicates also occur in other constructions and contexts; “never use a negative verb” would be too broad. Keep each marker beside the phrase it introduces, rather than moving it alone.
Try it yourself
Bu oda ___ aydınlık hem de sessiz. Fill the gap: the room is both bright and quiet.
Show answer or example answer
hem
hem: the room has both qualities. The existing second marker hem de confirms addition, not a choice between light and quiet.
Ne mesaj yazdık ne de telefon ___. (etmek) Use the affirmative simple past of etmek for “we”. Neither event happened.
Show answer or example answer
ettik
ettik: this is the affirmative past form for “we phoned”. Here the two ne markers exclude writing a message and making a call; the affirmative form does not make either event happen.
Ya yürüyelim ya ___ otobüse binelim. Add the particle to complete the longer second marker for “either…or”.
Show answer or example answer
da
da: after the second ya, this completes ya da. Walking and taking the bus are presented as alternative plans; write the particle as a separate word.
Hem müdüre hem de ___ haber verdik. (yardımcısı) Use yardımcısı (“their assistant”) as the second recipient. Keep the possessive ending and add the required case.
Show answer or example answer
yardımcısına
yardımcısına: the assistant is the second recipient of the news, like müdüre. The verb phrase haber vermek takes a dative recipient, so the case must remain inside both paired phrases.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Bu oda ___ aydınlık hem de sessiz. Fill the gap: the room is both bright and quiet.
Ne mesaj yazdık ne de telefon ___. (etmek) Use the affirmative simple past of etmek for “we”. Neither event happened.
Ya yürüyelim ya ___ otobüse binelim. Add the particle to complete the longer second marker for “either…or”.
Hem müdüre hem de ___ haber verdik. (yardımcısı) Use yardımcısı (“their assistant”) as the second recipient. Keep the possessive ending and add the required case.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Describe two advantages of a workspace with hem…hem, two things you did not do with ne…ne, and two alternative plans with ya…ya. Underline the whole unit after each marker and check that the two units have matching roles.