Use familiar self-care verbs to practise attaching the reflexive suffix. The table separates the stem, its last vowel and the ending; the chains then add the infinitive.
The idea
With established reflexive verbs, the subject acts on itself. After a vowel, add -n: yıka- becomes yıkan-. After a consonant, choose -ın after a/ı, -in after e/i, -un after o/u, or -ün after ö/ü. Add this before the infinitive or tense ending: giy-in-mek, giy-in-di. Keep the stem consonants in these examples. This is not a recipe for making a reflexive from every verb. Learn established meanings too: takınmak can mean to put on an accessory or adopt an attitude.
| Stem | Last vowel | Reflexive suffix | Infinitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| yıka- | a | -n | yıkanmak |
| tak- | a | -ın | takınmak |
| giy- | i | -in | giyinmek |
| soy- | o | -un | soyunmak |
| ört- | ö | -ün | örtünmek |
Examples
- Elif erkenden yıkandı.Elif washed herself early.
- Mert odasında giyindi.Mert got dressed in his room.
- Annem şalıyla örtündü.My mother covered herself with her shawl.
- yıkanmakto wash oneself; to batheyıkanReflexive suffix: washing and dressingmak-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- giyinmekto get dressedgiyinReflexive suffix: washing and dressingmek-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- soyunmakto undresssoyunReflexive suffix: washing and dressingmak-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- örtünmekto cover oneselförtünReflexive suffix: washing and dressingmek-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- takınmakto put on an accessory; to adopt an attitudetakınReflexive suffix: washing and dressingmak-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- Mert ciddi bir tavır takındı.Mert adopted a serious attitude.
- Kirli gömlek yıkandı.The dirty shirt was washed.
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Watch out
Getting dressed is giyinmek, but putting on a particular shirt is gömleği giymek: keep the garment as the object of giymek. Also, a visible -n does not guarantee a reflexive meaning. In Kirli gömlek yıkandı., the shirt was washed; it did not wash itself.
Try it yourself
Build the infinitive meaning “to wash oneself” from yıka-.
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yıkanmak
yıkanmak: yıka- already ends in a vowel, so only n goes between the stem and mak. No extra ı is needed.
Build the infinitive meaning “to get dressed” from giy-.
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giyinmek
giyinmek: the last vowel of giy- is i, so the inserted vowel is also i. The y belongs to the stem; it is not an added buffer.
Build the infinitive meaning “to cover oneself” from ört-.
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örtünmek
örtünmek: the rounded front vowel ö calls for ü. The stem stays ört-; its final t does not become d here.
Choose giydim or giyindim: I put on my blue shirt.
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giydim
giydim: mavi gömleğimi names the garment being put on. Use giymek with that object; giyindim would simply say that I got dressed.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Build the infinitive meaning “to wash oneself” from yıka-.
Build the infinitive meaning “to get dressed” from giy-.
Build the infinitive meaning “to cover oneself” from ört-.
Choose giydim or giyindim: I put on my blue shirt.
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: to wash oneself; to bathe
Tap the parts in order to build this word: to get dressed
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Build three infinitives from the table, then write one sentence about getting dressed and another about putting on a specific garment. Check which verb takes the garment as its object.