You will build forms such as gitmemeliyim and okumamalısınız to say what you or others must not do, and see why this is not the same as not having to.
The idea
Put -me (after e i ö ü) or -ma (after a ı o u) on the verb stem, then -meli or -malı to match, then the person ending: gel-me-meli-yim, oku-ma-malı-sınız. The endings are -yim -sin -∅ -yiz -siniz -ler after -meli and -yım -sın -∅ -yız -sınız -lar after -malı; he, she and it have none.
| Person | After e i ö ü | Example | After a ı o u | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ben | -memeliyim | gelmemeliyim | -mamalıyım | okumamalıyım |
| sen | -memelisin | gelmemelisin | -mamalısın | okumamalısın |
| o | -memeli | gelmemeli | -mamalı | okumamalı |
| biz | -memeliyiz | gelmemeliyiz | -mamalıyız | okumamalıyız |
| siz | -memelisiniz | gelmemelisiniz | -mamalısınız | okumamalısınız |
| onlar | -memeliler | gelmemeliler | -mamalılar | okumamalılar |
Examples
- Bu akşam eve geç gelmemelisin.You must not come home late tonight.The negative comes first, then the necessity: gel-me-meli-sin. The ending -sin means you (one person).
- Çocuklar yolda oynamamalı.Children must not play in the road.
- Telefonu derse getirmemeliyiz.We must not bring the phone to class.
- gitmemeliyimI must not gogitmemeli-memeli / -mamalı: must notyim-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
- okumamalısınızyou must not read (plural or polite)okumamalı-memeli / -mamalı: must notsınız-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
- gelmemeliyizwe must not comegelmemeli-memeli / -mamalı: must notyiz-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
- yapmamalıydımI should not have done thatyapmamalı-memeli / -mamalı: must notydıWas and were: -di after nouns (öğrenciydim)mPast person endings: -m, -n, -k, -niz, -lerAdding -ydı after -malı moves the rule into the past: must not becomes should not have. The person ending -m now sits on -ydı.
- Yarın gelmek zorunda değilsin.You don't have to come tomorrow.This is not -memeli. Gelmemelisin would forbid coming. Not having to is said with zorunda değil, a pattern that goes beyond this level.
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Watch out
English "don't have to" is not -memeli. Gelmemelisin means you must not come; not needing to come is a different pattern, gelmek zorunda değilsin, which goes beyond this level. Also keep the order: negative first, never gelmeli değilsin for a ban.
Try it yourself
Say that you (one person) must not come: gel (come).
Show answer or example answer
gelmemelisin
gelmemelisin: the stem gel has the front vowel e, so -me and -meli; -sin marks you (one person).
Say that he, she or it must not do it: yap (do, make).
Show answer or example answer
yapmamalı
yapmamalı: the last vowel of yap is a, so -ma and -malı; for he, she and it no person ending follows.
Say that we must not read: oku (read).
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okumamalıyız
okumamalıyız: the last vowel u is back, so -mamalı; because it ends in a vowel the ending needs a buffer y, giving -yız.
Say that I should not have taken it, with the past -ydı: al (take).
Show answer or example answer
almamalıydım
almamalıydım: -ydı after -malı moves the idea into the past (should not have), with a buffer y, and -m marks I.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Say that you (one person) must not come: gel (come).
Say that he, she or it must not do it: yap (do, make).
Say that we must not read: oku (read).
Say that I should not have taken it, with the past -ydı: al (take).
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 must not go
Tap the parts in order to build this word: you must not read (plural or polite)
Keep your progress
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Write three rules for a shared flat or a classroom, one with ben, one with biz and one about children, and mark each -me/-ma and -meli/-malı pair.