Turkish Language - The Past Tenses

Was it seen? or Was it heard?The Indefinite Past TensesFormation Definite Past TensesDefinite Past Tense - ExamplesIndefinite Past (Inferential) - TensesIndefinite Past Tense - ExamplesNegative
Forms of Past TenseVerb stem ending in -a anlamamak [anlamamak] - to not understandVerb stem ending in -e gitmemek [gitmemek] - to not goAn Example - A Joke in the Inferential TenseSome
of the other Past Tenses in general use.Definite Past Continuous
Tense (the Imperfect Tense)Indefinite Past Continuous Tense (the
Imperfect Inferential Tense)Examples of Indefinite Past/Present
Continuous Tense - Negative (Hearsay)Some Examples of the
Definite -di and Indefinite -mi Past TensesExamples of Questions
in the Definite Past TensesThe Past Perfect Tense - "I had written,
etc"

Was it seen? or Was it heard?

The Definite Past Tenses
There are two Past Tenses in Turkish. The Definite Past Tenses
("Seen Tenses") are used when you have personal knowledge and
witness of the action. These Definite Past tenses are like the
English:
Past Perfect Tense - I have made it
Past Simple Tense - I made it
Past Imperfect Tense (Past Continuous) - I was making it
Past Pluperfect Tense - I had made it.

The Indefinite Past Tenses

The Indefinite Past Tenses ("Heard Tenses") are used, by inference,
to transfer information that you have not actually seen and
witnessed yourself. There is no Inferential Tense as such in
English, actually not many languages have one, consequently the
idea of inference is communicated by other ways. English
speakers do this automatically and just a few of the ways are as
follow:
I think that I went out - [doubt]
Presumably you have left - [possibility]
He has left as far as I know - [reportative]
I think that we left at - [uncertainty]
They say that you went out - [hearsay]
Its pretty sure that they have left - [probability]
All the examples above show that this tense is used whenever the

speaker has not been an eyewitness to the past events. The

Inferential Tense used for reporting unwitnessed events, or
implying possibility, doubt or uncertainty. It is often used in telling
jokes as the content of the joke is just a story.
The Inferential Tense is discussed in depth here: About the
Inferential

Formation - Definite Past Tenses

The Sign of the Definite Past is the addition of the suffix -di-/-ti-,
-d-/-t-, -d-/-t-, -du-/-tu- - according to Vowel harmony and
Consonant Mutation Rules, to which the Personal suffixes are
added.
Continuous Past: Geliyordum [Gel-iyor-dum] - I was coming
Simple Past: Gelirdim [Gel-ir-dim] - I used to come
Future Past (Future in the Past): Gelecektim [Gel-ecek-tim] - I
was going to come
Pluperfect (Past in the Past): Gelmitim [Gel-mi-tim] - I had
come
- Note that the -mi suffix here does not convey any inferential
meaning in the Pluperfect Tense.
Necessitative Past (Obligation in the Past): Gelmeliydim - I had
to come
Conditional Past: Gelseydim [Gel-se-ydim] - If only I had come

Definite Past Tense - Examples

This Tense Sign is -di- or -ti- [when added to verb root ending in
p, , k, t,
The suffixes - -d-, -di-, -du-, -d- or -t-, -ti-, -tu-, -t- - and the
personal ending are added to the verb stem, in all cases Vowel
harmony and Consonant Mutation rules are applied
gelmek (Stem
to come
-e-)
geldim (gel-diI came
m)
geldin (gel-di-n) you came
he/she/it
came
geldik (gel-di-k) we came
(o) geldi (gel-di)

anlamak (Stem
to
-a-)
understand
anladm (anla-dI understood
m)
anladn (anla-d- you
n)
understood
(o) anlad (anla- he
d)
understood
anladk (anla-d-k) we

understood
geldiniz (gel-dianladnz (anla-d- you
you came
niz)
nz)
understood
geldiler (gel-dianladlar (anla-d- they
they came
ler)
lar)
understood
imek (Stem
kmak (Stem
to go
to drink/smoke
-i-)
--)
out/exit
itim (i-ti-m) I drank/smoked ktm (k-t-m) I went out
you
you went
itin
ktn
drank/smoked
out
he
(o) iti
(o) kt
he went out
drank/smoked
we
itik
ktk
we went out
drank/smoked
you
you went
itiniz
ktnz
drank/smoked
out
they
they went
itiler
ktlar
drank/smoked
out
komak (Stem
grmek (Stem --)
to see
to run
-o-)
grdm (gr-d-m) I saw
kotum (ko-tu-m) I ran
grdn
you saw
kotun
you ran
(o) grd
he/she/it saw (o) kotu
he ran
grdk
we saw
kotuk
we ran
grdnz
you saw
kotunuz
you ran
they
grdler
they saw
kotular
ran
glmek (Stem
bulmak (Stem
to laugh
to find
--)
-u-)
gldm (gl-dbuldum (bul-duI laughed
I found
m)
m)
you
gldn
you laughed
buldun
found
he/she/it
(o) gld
(o) buldu
he found
laughed
gldk
we laughed
bulduk
we found
you
gldnz
you laughed
buldunuz
found
they
gldler
they laughed
buldular
found

Indefinite Past - (Inferential) - Tenses

The Sign of the Indefinite (Inferential) Past is the addition of the
suffix -mi-, -m-, -m-, -mu- - according to Vowel harmony
and Consonant Mutation Rules, to which the Past Tense Personal
suffixes are added.
Continuous Inferential: Geliyormuum [Gel-iyor-mu-um] - It
seems (they say) I am coming
Future Inferential: Gelecekmiim [Gel-ecekm-i-im] - It seems I
shall come
Simple Inferential: Gelirmiim [Gel-ir-mi-im] - It seems I come
Necessitative Inferential: Gelmeliymiim [Gel-meli-ymi-im] They say I must have come
The form "must have" has been used to give the sense of
inference in these examples by showing that there is a doubt in
what we are saying. There are many ways of modifying our speech
in English to show these various nuances of doubt, uncertainty or
hearsay. All these modifications and nuances are inherent in the
Turkish Inferential -mi- Tense itself - so the extra words of
explanation are not required for clarification purposes.

Indefinite Past Tense - Examples

The Tense Sign suffix -mi-, -m-, -m-, -mu- and the
personal ending are added to the verb stem, in all cases Vowel
harmony and Consonant Mutation rules are applied.
gelmek (Stem
to come
-e-)
gelmiim (gel- I must have
mi-im)
come
gelmisin (gel- you must
mi-sin)
have come
he/she/it
(o) gelmi
must have
(gel-mi)
come
gelmiiz (gel- we must
mi-iz)
have come
gelmisiniz
you must
(gel-mi-siniz) have come
gelmiler (gel- they must

anlamak (Stem
to understand
-a-)
anlamm
I must have
(anla-m-m)
understood
anlamsn
you must have
(anla-m-sn)
understood
(o) anlam
(anla-m)

he must have
understood

anlam-z (anlam-z)
anlamsnz
(anla-m-snz)
anlamlar

we must have
understood
you must have
understood
they must

mi-ler)

have come

(anla-m-lar)

imek
to drink/smoke
(Stem -i-)
imiim (i- I must have
mi-im)
drunk/smoked

have
understood

kmak
to go out/exit
(Stem --)
kmm (k- I must have
m-m)
gone out
you must
you must have
imisin
kmsn
have gone
drunk/smoked
out
he must have
he must have
(o) imi
(o) km
drunk/smoked
gone out
we must have
we must have
imiiz
kmz
drunk/smoked
gone out
you must
you must have
imisiniz
kmsnz have gone
drunk/smoked
out
they must
they must have
imiler
kmlar
have gone
drunk/smoked
out
grmek (Stem
komak (Stem
to see
to run
-)
-o-)
grmm (gr- I must have
komuum (ko- I must
m-m)
seen
mu-um)
have run
you must have
you must
grmsn
komusun
seen
have run
he/she/it must
he must
(o) grm
(o) komu
have seen
have run
we must have
we must
grmz
komuuz
seen
have run
you must have
you must
grmsnz
komusunuz
seen
have run
they must
they must
grmler
komular
have seen
have run
glmek (Stem
bulmak (Stem
to laugh
to find
--)
-u-)
glmm (gl- I must have
bulmuum (bul- I must have
m-m)
laughed
mu-um)
found
you must have
you must
glmsn
bulmusun
laughed
have found
he/she/it must
he must
(o) glm
(o) bulmu
have laughed
have found
glmz
we must have bulmuuz
we must

glmsnz
glmler

laughed
you must have
bulmusunuz
laughed
they must have
bulmular
laughed

have found
you must
have found
they must
have found

Negative Forms of Past Tense

For the Perfect Past Tense Definite (Seen) the suffix -d-,
-di--, -du-, -d- is added to the negative verb form. For the
Perfect Past Tense Indefinite (Heard) the suffix -m-, -mi-,
-mu-, m- is added to the negative verb form. In both tenses
the person is then added to complete the personalized verb.

Verb stem ending in -a anlamamak [anlamamak] - to not understand

Past Definite - (Seen)
Past Inferential - (Heard)
I didn't understand /
I must not
anlamad
anlamam
I have not
have
m
m
understood
understood
you didn't
you must not
anlamad understand / you
anlamams
have
n
have not
n
understood
understood
he, she, it didn't
he must not
(o)
(o)
understand /he has
have
anlamad
anlamam
not understood
understood
we didn't
we must not
understand / we
anlamadk
anlamamz have
have not
understood
understood
you didn't
you must not
anlamad understand / you
anlamams
have
nz
have not
nz
understood
understood
they don't
they must not
anlamadl understand / they
anlamamla
have
ar
have not
r
understood
understood

Verb stem ending in -e gitmemek [gitmemek] - to not go

Past Definite - (Seen)
gitmedi I didn't go / I have not
m
gone
you didn't go / you
gitmedin
have not gone
(o)
he, she, it didn't go /
gitmedi he has not gone
we didn't go / we
gitmedik
have not gone
gitmedin you didn't go / you
iz
have not gone
gitmedil they don't go / they
er
have not gone

Past Inferential - (Heard)

gitmemii I must not
m
have gone
gitmemisi you must not
n
have gone
(o)
he must not
gitmemi have gone
we must not
gitmemiiz
have gone
gitmemisi you must not
niz
have gone
gitmemile they must not
r
have gone

An Example - A Joke in the Inferential Tense

Here we have a joke told in the Inferential Tense. The joke is not a
true event and the use of the inferential shows this. The joke may
be considered a little sexist so please do not take offence, it is
used merely to demonstrate the use of the inferential in Turkish.
Snfta retmen sormu - Dalda kus var, birini vurdum ka
tane kalr?
ocuk cevaplam - Hi kalmaz retmenim.
Olur mu olum? - demi retmen - 2 tane kalr.
Olmaz retmenim - demi ocuk - siz birini vurunca dierleri
aptal deil ya sesten rkp kaarlar...
retmen sasrm ve - Aferin olum! Cevabin yanl ama
dnce tarzn beendim. - demi.
Sonra ocuk - retmenim, ben de size bir ey sormak istiyorum:
Karsdan tane bayan geliyor, de dondurma yiyor, ama biri
yalayarak, biri srarak, dieri de emerek yiyor dondurmay. Sizce
bunlardan hangisi evlidir?
retmen kzm ama, cevap veremedi dedirtmemek iin belli
etmemi - Emerek yiyen evlidir - demi.
ocuk - Olur mu retmenim ne alakas var, parmanda yzk
olan evlidir - demi, - Ama dnce tarznz beendim.

If you do want to see the English translation then hover your

mouse here.
In class a teacher asked "There were three birds on a
Snfta retmen sormu - Dalda
branch, I hit one - how many
kus var, birini vurdum ka tane
are left?"
kalr?
A child answered - "None at all
ocuk cevaplam - Hi kalmaz
remained, sir"
retmenim.
"Really, my lad?" - said the
Olur mu olum? - demi
teacher - "Two of them remain."
retmen - 2 tane kalr.
"No way, sir" - said the child Olmaz retmenim - demi
"When you hit one of them, the
ocuk - siz birini vurunca dierleri
others not being fools, were
aptal deil ya sesten rkp
startled by the sound and flew
kaarlar...
off.."
retmen sasrm ve - Aferin
The teacher was surprised and olum! Cevabin yanl ama
"Well done, my lad!" Your
dnce tarzn beendim. answer is wrong but I like your
demi.
style." - he said
Sonra ocuk - retmenim, ben
Then the child said - "Sir, I want
de size bir ey sormak istiyorum:
to ask you something: There are
Karsdan tane bayan geliyor,
three ladies coming opposite
de dondurma yiyor, ama biri
and they are eating ice cream,
yalayarak, biri srarak, dieri de
but one is licking, one eating
emerek yiyor dondurmay. Sizce
and on sucking the ice cream.
bunlardan hangisi evlidir?
Which one do you think is
retmen kzm ama, cevap
married?"
veremedi dedirtmemek iin belli
The teacher got angry but not
etmemi - Emerek yiyen evlidir to show that he could not
demi.
answer - "The one sucking is
ocuk - Olur mu retmenim ne
married" - he said.
alakas var, parmanda yzk
The child - "Really sir? What a
olan evlidir - demi, - Ama
thing to say, the one with the
dnce tarznz beendim.
ring on her finger is married" he said - "But I like your style."
Notes:
Quotation marks (" ") are not use in the speech above. It is normal
when writing Turkish to use the dash (-) instead.
We will not translate this joke as it could be considered a little
risqu. This is because in the last line the word - alaka relevance also has a secondary meaning - "having a romantic
interest in.."

Some of the other Past Tenses in general

use.
Definite Past Continuous Tense (the
Imperfect Tense)
This is formed in a similar way to English. But the Turkish Forms
are suffixed as usual - Verb stem + present tense suffix + past
tense suffix (-di-) + personal ending.
Positive Negative to come
to not go
gelmek
gitmemek
geliyordum
gitmiyordum
I was coming
I wasn't going
[gel-iyor-du-m]
[gitm-iyor-du-m]
you were
you weren't
geliyordun
gitmiyordun
coming
going
he/she/it was
he/she/it
(o) geliyordu
(o) gitmiyordu
coming
wasn't going
we were
we weren't
geliyorduk
gitmiyorduk
coming
going
you were
you weren't
geliyordunuz
gitmiyordunuz
coming
going
geliyorlard
gitmiyorlard
they were
they weren't
or or coming
going
geliyordular
gitmiyordular
All the meanings above must be construed as witnessed
(definite) - it is true.

Indefinite Past Continuous Tense (the

Imperfect Inferential Tense)
This tense has no direct English equivalent. But the Turkish Forms
are suffixed as usual - Verb stem + present tense suffix +
inferential tense suffix -mi- + personal ending.
Positive to come
bilmek
biliyormuum (it seems
[bil-iyor-muthat) I was
um]
knowing

Negative to not read

okumamak
okumuyormuum (it seems
[okum-uyorthat) I wasn't
muum]
reading

okumuyormusu you weren't

n
reading
he/she/it
he/she/it was (o)
(o) biliyormu
wasn't
knowing
okumuyormu
reading
we were
we weren't
biliyormuuz
okumuyormuuz
knowing
reading
biliyormusun you were
okumuyormusu you weren't
uz
knowing
nuz
reading
biliyorlarm
okumuyorlarm
they were
they weren't
or or knowing
reading
geliyormular
okumuyormular
All the meanings above must be construed as "hearsay"
(indefinite) - It may or may not be true.
biliyormusun

you were
knowing

Examples of Indefinite Past/Present

Continuous Tense - Negative (Hearsay)
anlamamak - to not understand
anlamyormuum - it seem that I was not understanding
anlamyormusun - it seem that you were not
understanding
anlamyormu - it seem that he was not understanding
anlamyormuuz - it seem that we were not understanding
anlamyormusunuz - it seem that you were not
understanding
anlamyorlarm - it seem that they were not
understanding
Thanks to Stan Sutherland for corrections to the above - JG, 5 December
2009

gitmemek - not to go
gitmiyormuum - I do not think that I was going
gitmiyormusun - I do not think that you were going
gitmiyormu - I am pretty sure that he is not going
gitmiyormuuz - I think that we are not going
gitmiyormusunuz - I believe that you are not going
gitmiyorlarm - apparently they are not going

Some Examples of the Definite -di and

Indefinite -mi Past Tenses
Turkish
Verb

English
Verb

almak
to take
aramak to look for
bitmek to end
to
imek
drink/smoke
balama
to start
k
almak to work
gelmek to come
grmek to see
glmek to laugh
kzmak to get angry
okumak to read
vermek to give
yapmak to do/make

Positiv
Positive Negativ
e
Indefinit
e
Definit
e
Definite
e
ald
alm
almad
arad
aram
aramad
bitti
bitmi
bitmedi

almam
aramam
bitmemi

iti

imemi

imi

balad balam
alt
geldi
grd
gld
kzd
okudu
verdi
yapt

alm
gelmi
grm
glm
kzm
okumu
vermi
yapm

imedi

Negative
Indefinite

balamad balamam

almad almam
gelmedi gelmemi
grmedi grmemi
glmedi glmemi
kzmad kzmam
okumad okumam
vermedi vermemi
yapmad yapmam

Examples of Questions in the Definite Past

Tenses
Note that the mi? question particle follows the full verb in the Past
Tense.
Okula gittin mi? - Did you go to school? - [Eng: Have you been
to school?]
Okula gitmeli miydin? [git-meli-m-y-din, the Necessitative] - Did
you have go to school? - [Eng: Did you have to go to school?]
Aye ders alt m? - Has Ayshe done her lesson?
Mehmet televizyon seyrediyor muydu? - Was Mehmet
watching television?
Mehmet televizyonu seyrediyor muydu? - Was Mehmet
watching THE television?
Kemal gazete okudu mu? - Did Kemal read a newspaper? [unspecified object]
Kemal gazeteyi okudu mu? - Did Kemal read THE

newspaper? - [specified object]

Kemal bu gazeteyi okudu mu? - Did Kemal read THIS
newspaper? - [demonstrated specific object]
Serhan iki iti mi? - Did Serhan drink alcohol? - [iki =
alcoholic drink]
Serhan iki iiyor muydu? - Was Serhan drinking alcohol?
Faruk Ankara'ya gitti mi? - Has Faruk gone Ankara?
Faruk Ankara'ya gidebildi mi? - Was Faruk able to go
Ankara?
Thanks to Nurcan Akaltun ifti for corrections to the section above - JG May 2008 and June 2009

The Past Perfect Tense - "I had written, etc"

This tense signifies the Past in The Past. In English we say "I had
done it". As an example of the Past perfect Definite Tense, or "I
thought I had done it" as an example of the Past perfect
Indefinite Tense.
The Past Perfect Definite is formed by adding the Definite past
tense suffix to the Past Tense -mi form of the verb. Note that
there is no hearsay or doubt in the meaning of this tense as it is
made definite and specific by the addition of the Past definite
suffix in -di

Examples of the Past Perfect Tense

Definite Past Perfect
gelmitim [gelmi-tim] - I had come
unutmutun [unutmu-tun] - you had forgotten
yrmt [yrm-t] - he had walked
bilmitik [bilmi-tik] - we had known
kmtnz [km-tnz] - you had gone out
anlamtlar [anlam-tlar] - they had understood