You will add -ebil-/-abil- to a verb stem to say what you can or may do, and build forms such as gelebilirim.
The idea
The suffix -ebil- adds ‘can’ or ‘may’ to a verb: gelebilirim (I can come), oturabilir miyim? (may I sit down?). It has two shapes: -ebil- after a stem whose last vowel is front (e i ö ü) and -abil- after a back one (a ı o u): gel-ebil-, yap-abil-. After a stem that ends in a vowel, a buffer y comes first: oku-yabil-, bekle-yebil-. The result is a new stem, so the usual tense and person endings follow, most often the aorist -ir and a person ending: gel-ebil-ir-im.
| Last vowel | After a consonant | Example | After a vowel | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a ı o u | -abil | yapabilirim | -yabil | okuyabilirim |
| e i ö ü | -ebil | gelebilirim | -yebil | bekleyebilirim |
Examples
- Yarın size gelebilirim.I can come to you tomorrow.
- Sen de bizimle gelebilirsin.You can come with us too.
- Burada oturabilir miyim?May I sit here?In a question the person ending moves onto mi: oturabilir miyim, with -im on mi, not on the verb.
- Ali iyi yüzebilir.Ali can swim well.
- Yarın gelmeyebilirim.I might not come tomorrow.The negative -me- comes before -ebil-, with a buffer y: gelmeyebilirim means I might not come. I cannot come is gelemem.
- Burada bir şey yiyebilirsiniz.You can eat something here.The verb yemek becomes yi- before a suffix that starts with y: yiyebilirsiniz, not yeyebilirsiniz.
- gelebilirimI can comegelebil-ebil- / -abil-: can and may (gelebilirim)ir-ir / -ar / -er: the aorist (gelir, yapar)imAorist person endings: -im, -sin, -iz, -siniz, -ler
- bekleyebilirsinyou can waitbekleyebil-ebil- / -abil-: can and may (gelebilirim)ir-ir / -ar / -er: the aorist (gelir, yapar)sinAorist person endings: -im, -sin, -iz, -siniz, -ler
- gidebilirsinizyou can go (formal or plural)gidebil-ebil- / -abil-: can and may (gelebilirim)ir-ir / -ar / -er: the aorist (gelir, yapar)sinizAorist person endings: -im, -sin, -iz, -siniz, -ler
- görebilirlerthey can seegörebil-ebil- / -abil-: can and may (gelebilirim)ir-ir / -ar / -er: the aorist (gelir, yapar)ler-ler / -lar: the plural suffix
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 make ‘cannot’ by putting -me- after -ebil-. ‘Cannot’ has its own suffix, -eme-/-ama-: gelemem; gelebilmem does not mean ‘I cannot come’. The negative -me- goes before -ebil- and then means ‘might not’: gelmeyebilirim, I may not come.
Try it yourself
Say ‘I can come’ with the stem gel.
Show answer or example answer
gelebilirim
gelebilirim: gel ends in a consonant and its last vowel e is front, so -ebil-; then the aorist -ir and -im for ‘I’.
Say ‘you (formal) can read’ with the stem oku.
Show answer or example answer
okuyabilirsiniz
okuyabilirsiniz: oku ends in a vowel, so a buffer y comes first, and the back vowel u gives -abil-; then -ir and -siniz for ‘you’ (formal).
Say ‘I can go’ with the stem git.
Show answer or example answer
gidebilirim
gidebilirim: the stem git- softens to gid- before a vowel, and the front vowel i gives -ebil-.
Complete the question ‘May I sit here?’ with the stem otur.
Show answer or example answer
oturabilir
oturabilir: otur ends in a consonant and its last vowel u is back, so -abil- and the aorist -ir; in the question the person ending sits on mi: miyim.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Say ‘I can come’ with the stem gel.
Say ‘you (formal) can read’ with the stem oku.
Say ‘I can go’ with the stem git.
Complete the question ‘May I sit here?’ with the stem otur.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the parts in order to build this word: I can come
Tap the parts in order to build this word: you can wait
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
Write three sentences about what you can do this weekend and one question asking permission that ends in …abilir miyim?. Underline each -ebil-/-abil- and check its vowel.