Silmek connects housework, writing and digital files. You will describe wiping a surface, erasing a word and deleting a photo, using the object to make the meaning clear.
The idea
The stem sil- stays intact: siliyorum, sildim, silerim. In sileceğim, the future ending changes its k to ğ before the person ending. The negative present is silmiyorum; a command is sil, a polite or plural command silin, and a negative command silme. A specific object takes the accusative: aynayı silmek means to wipe the mirror, while dosyayı silmek means to delete the file.
| Subject | Present continuous | Past | Future | Aorist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ben | siliyorum | sildim | sileceğim | silerim |
| sen | siliyorsun | sildin | sileceksin | silersin |
| o | siliyor | sildi | silecek | siler |
| biz | siliyoruz | sildik | sileceğiz | sileriz |
| siz | siliyorsunuz | sildiniz | sileceksiniz | silersiniz |
| onlar | siliyorlar | sildiler | silecekler | silerler |
Examples
- Ben aynayı siliyorum.I am wiping the mirror.
- Bu dosyayı silme.Do not delete this file.
- Tahtayı birlikte sileceğiz.We will wipe the board together.
- Masanın üzerindeki tozu nemli bir bezle sildim.I wiped the dust off the table with a damp cloth.
- Yanlış kelimeyi silip cümleyi yeniden yazdım.I erased the wrong word and rewrote the sentence.
- Her akşam mutfak tezgâhını silerim.I wipe the kitchen counter every evening.
- Bu fotoğrafı telefondan sildin mi?Did you delete this photo from the phone?
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Watch out
For “wipe the table”, use masayı silmek. Masadan means “from the table”: tozu masadan silmek names the dust as the object and the table as its source. Likewise, fotoğrafı telefondan silmek deletes the photo from the phone; it does not wipe the phone itself.
Try it yourself
Complete with the past form for “I”: yesterday I wiped the mirror.
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sildim
sildim: the action happened yesterday and the speaker did it. The voiced l allows d, and the final -m identifies “I”.
Complete with the future form for “I”: tomorrow I will wipe the board.
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sileceğim
sileceğim: tomorrow points to the requested future tense. Before the first-person vowel, the k of -ecek becomes ğ; the stem itself does not change.
Make “the table” the definite object: I wiped it after the meal.
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masayı
masayı: this particular table receives the action. The accusative -ı needs a buffer y after the final vowel of masa.
Use a negative command to one person: this file is needed; please do not delete it.
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silme
silme: the file is needed, so the request prohibits deletion. Add the negative -me to the bare command; silmiyorum would describe what I am not doing.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete with the past form for “I”: yesterday I wiped the mirror.
Complete with the future form for “I”: tomorrow I will wipe the board.
Make “the table” the definite object: I wiped it after the meal.
Use a negative command to one person: this file is needed; please do not delete it.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write one sentence about a surface you wiped and one about a file you will delete. Then tell someone not to delete a photo. Check each object ending and compare the next lesson on sweeping.