A noun can name a substance or a tool; a related verb can name what you do with it. Here you will build familiar verbs and distinguish the verb-forming suffix from the ending meaning “with”.
The idea
Attach -le after the last vowel e, i, ö, ü, and -la after a, ı, o, u. This forms a verb stem from a noun or adjective: tuz → tuzla- and temiz → temizle-. Add -mek/-mak for the infinitive, or a tense ending for a sentence: temizlemek, temizledi. The suffix begins with l, so it attaches directly even after a vowel: ütülemek. Learn each established verb with its meaning; başlamak means “to begin”, and the pattern does not let you invent a verb from every noun.
| Last vowel | Suffix | Base → infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| e, i, ö, ü | -le | temiz → temizlemek; ütü → ütülemek |
| a, ı, o, u | -la | tuz → tuzlamak; baş → başlamak |
Examples
- Babam balkonu temizledi.My father cleaned the balcony.
- Aşçı çorbayı tuzladı.The cook salted the soup.
- Konser biraz geç başladı.The concert started a little late.
- temizlemekto cleantemizleVerb formation from nouns and adjectivesmek-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- tuzlamakto salttuzlaVerb formation from nouns and adjectivesmak-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- başlamakto beginbaşlaVerb formation from nouns and adjectivesmak-mek / -mak: the infinitive
- ütülemekto ironütüleVerb formation from nouns and adjectivesmek-mek / -mak: the infinitive
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Watch out
Do not borrow the linking y from the “with” ending. Suyla means “with water”, but sulamak means “to water”: the verb is built as su + la + mak, not suylamak. Similarly, ütüyle means “with an iron”, while ütülemek means “to iron”.
Try it yourself
Form the infinitive meaning “to clean” from temiz (clean).
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temizlemek
temizlemek: the final vowel in temiz is i. This gives the stem temizle-; the following infinitive ending is -mek, so both endings have a front vowel.
Form the infinitive meaning “to salt” from tuz (salt).
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tuzlamak
tuzlamak: the last vowel of tuz is u, but this suffix has only two vowel choices. Choose -la, not a rounded-vowel form, then add -mak.
Form the infinitive meaning “to iron” from ütü (iron, the appliance).
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ütülemek
ütülemek: keep the final ü of ütü. The consonant l already separates the vowels, so no linking y is needed; the action means using an iron.
Complete with the past tense: the concert started a little late. Write only the verb.
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başladı
başladı: the concert is what began. Remove infinitive -mak from başlamak and add past -dı to başla-; a singular third-person subject needs no further person ending.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Form the infinitive meaning “to clean” from temiz (clean).
Form the infinitive meaning “to salt” from tuz (salt).
Form the infinitive meaning “to iron” from ütü (iron, the appliance).
Complete with the past tense: the concert started a little late. Write only the verb.
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 clean
Tap the parts in order to build this word: to salt
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Write a short account of household jobs using three verbs from this page. Underline the verb-forming part and circle any tense ending. For each verb, name its base and explain the action it denotes.