Seçmek: choosing an item from a set

The idea

Name a specific chosen object in the accusative: mavi kalemi seçmek (to choose the blue pen). An unspecified object can stay unmarked: bir kalem seçmek (to choose a pen). The group of options takes the ablative: bu kitaplardan birini seçmek (to choose one of these books). Learn seçiyorum, seçtim, seçeceğim and the habitual seçerim. Negatives include seçmiyorum and seçmedim; a polite request is seçer misiniz?, with mi written separately.

Examples

• Annem mavi kalemi seçti.My mother chose the blue pen.
• Ben genellikle pencere kenarını seçerim.I usually choose the window seat.
• Yarın filmi birlikte seçeceğiz.We will choose the film together tomorrow.
• Bu kitaplardan birini seçebilirsin.You can choose one of these books.
• Lütfen rastgele bir cevap seçmeyin.Please do not choose an answer at random.
• Bu rengi seçmiyorum çünkü çok koyu.I am not choosing this colour because it is too dark.
• Bir renk seçer misiniz?Would you choose a colour?

Watch out

Do not turn the stem’s ç into c before a vowel: seçiyorum and seçeceğim keep it. In the future, it is the ending’s k that becomes ğ. Also distinguish habitual seçerim from ongoing seçiyorum: the aorist is not seçirim.

Try it yourself

1. Complete with “I usually choose”: use the first-person singular aorist.

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   seçerim

   seçerim: genellikle sets up a habit, so use the aorist seçer- and the first-person ending -im rather than the form for an action in progress.

2. Write the past form meaning “I chose” to complete the sentence about yesterday.

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   seçtim

   seçtim: dün places the choice yesterday. The past ending starts with t after voiceless ç, and -m identifies the speaker.

3. Complete with the first-person singular future: I will choose a gift tomorrow.

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   seçeceğim

   seçeceğim: yarın calls for the future here. Add -im to seçecek; the ending’s final k softens to ğ before that vowel.

4. Add the ablative to “books”: you can choose one from these books.

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   kitaplardan

   kitaplardan: the books are the set of options, while birini names the one chosen. After plural kitaplar, the ablative is -dan.

Use it today

Choose a seat, a film and a gift. Write one sentence about your usual choice, one about yesterday and one about tomorrow. In another sentence, name a group of options with the ablative.