Build a verb form for an action that does not happen, or has not happened yet. The longer chains add this ending after a passive suffix: okunmadan means “without being read”.
The idea
Remove -mek/-mak from the infinitive. Add -meden after e i ö ü, or -madan after a ı o u. The ending begins with m, so no linking y is needed and git keeps its t: gitmeden. This form takes no tense or person ending; those belong on the main verb. For an explicit “before doing”, put the separate word önce after it: çıkmadan önce. Context can also give a “before” reading without önce.
| Last vowel | Suffix | Stem | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | -madan | bak | bakmadan |
| ı | -madan | çık | çıkmadan |
| o | -madan | koş | koşmadan |
| u | -madan | oku | okumadan |
| e | -meden | bekle | beklemeden |
| i | -meden | git | gitmeden |
| ö | -meden | gör | görmeden |
| ü | -meden | gül | gülmeden |
Examples
- Çocuklar konuşmadan resim çiziyor.The children are drawing without talking.
- Babam oturmadan çay içiyor.My father is drinking tea without sitting down.
- Biz çıkmadan önce pencereleri kapatıyoruz.We close the windows before we go out.
- okunmadanwithout being readokun-ın / -in / -un / -ün / -n: passive endingsmadan-meden / -madan: without or before doing
- açılmadanwithout being openedaçılPassive suffix: -ıl / -il / -ul / -ülmadan-meden / -madan: without or before doing
- silinmedenwithout being erasedsilin-ın / -in / -un / -ün / -n: passive endingsmeden-meden / -madan: without or before doing
- Bu kitabı okumadan geri verme.Do not return this book without reading it.
- Mektup okunmadan masada kaldı.The letter remained on the table unread.
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Watch out
Do not add another negative -me/-ma for “without”: okumadan already leaves reading undone. In okumadan geri verme, the negative command verme applies to returning the book; it does not cancel the meaning of okumadan.
Try it yourself
Form “without going” from gitmek.
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gitmeden
gitmeden: removing -mek leaves git. Its final vowel is i, and the following consonant m gives no reason to change t to d.
Complete: the children draw without talking.
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konuşmadan
konuşmadan: the children are drawing, but they are not talking. The last vowel of konuş is u, which selects the back-vowel ending -madan.
Complete: take your key before leaving home.
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çıkmadan
çıkmadan: the key is taken first, leaving happens later. The following önce makes this sequence explicit; çık supplies the back vowel ı.
Complete: do not return this book without reading it.
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okumadan
okumadan: attach the ending directly to oku, keeping its u. The instruction forbids returning an unread book, so no extra negative suffix belongs on this form.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Form “without going” from gitmek.
Complete: the children draw without talking.
Complete: take your key before leaving home.
Complete: do not return this book without reading it.
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: without being read
Tap the parts in order to build this word: without being opened
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Write one sentence about doing something without speaking, one about what you do before leaving, and one using okunmadan. Check which action has not happened.