-ıl/-il/-ul/-ül

Consonant-stem Passive

Level 4

The passive voice (məchul növ) is used when the person performing the action is unknown or unimportant. For verbs ending in most consonants, we add -ıl, -il, -ul, or -ül based on vowel harmony.

How It Works

The passive voice is formed by adding a suffix to the verb stem before any tense or personal endings.

1. Vowel Harmony Rules:
The suffix follows the four-way vowel harmony system:

  • -ıl: After a or ı (e.g., yazmaq → yazılmaq)
  • -il: After e, ə, or i (e.g., çəkmək → çəkilmək)
  • -ul: After o or u (e.g., qurmaq → qurulmaq)
  • -ül: After ö or ü (e.g., görmək → görülmək)

2. Phonological Restrictions and Exceptions:
While this is the 'standard' passive suffix, there are specific rules based on the stem's ending:

  • Vowel Stems: If the stem ends in a vowel, use -n instead. However, the high-frequency verbs demək (to say) and yemək (to eat) are exceptions; they take the -il suffix to become deyilmək and yeyilmək.
  • Consonant 'l': If the stem ends in the consonant 'l', use -ın/-in/-un/-ün to avoid the double 'l' sound (e.g., almaq → alınmaq).
  • Consonant Voicing: A few verb stems ending in 't' change to 'd' when the passive suffix is added (e.g., etmək → edilmək, yaratmaq → yaradılmaq). Most keep the 't' (e.g., satmaq → satılmaq, tutmaq → tutulmaq).

3. Usage and Transitivity:
The passive voice is generally formed from transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object). While impersonal passives exist for some intransitive verbs, they are less common. Azerbaijani speakers use the passive to sound objective or when the doer is obvious. If you must mention who performed the action, use the postposition tərəfindən (by), which is common in formal writing.

Examples (4)

  1. Məktub dünən yazıldı.

    The letter was written yesterday.

    Word by Word: Letter yesterday was-written.

    Here, 'yaz-' (to write) takes '-ıl' because of the 'a' in the stem, followed by the past tense suffix '-dı'.

  2. Yeni bina tezliklə tikiləcək.

    The new building will be built soon.

    Word by Word: New building soon will-be-built.

    The verb 'tik-' (to build/sew) takes '-il' due to the 'i' in the stem, followed by the future tense suffix.

  3. Qapı qəflətən açıldı.

    The door was suddenly opened.

    Word by Word: Door suddenly was-opened.

    The passive voice is used here because the person who opened the door is not the focus of the sentence.

  4. Bu işlər vaxtında görülməlidir.

    These tasks must be seen to (done) on time.

    Word by Word: These works on-time must-be-seen.

    The verb 'gör-' (to see/do) takes '-ül' because of the rounded front vowel 'ö'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -ıl on a verb stem that ends in a vowel.

    Kitab oxuuldu.
    Kitab oxundu.

    Verbs ending in vowels use the '-n' suffix for the passive voice, not '-ıl'. Adding '-ıl' to a vowel creates an unnatural sound.

  • Using -ıl on a stem ending in 'l'.

    Qərar alıldı.
    Qərar alındı.

    When a verb stem ends in 'l' (like 'almaq'), the passive suffix changes to '-ın/-in/-un/-ün' to prevent the 'l-l' sequence.

How It Connects

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-ıl/-il/-ul/-ülLevel 4Consonant-stem Passive

Learn This First

To understand the consonant-stem passive, you need to be familiar with four-way vowel harmony to correctly attach the suffix. Additionally, you should understand how verbs are conjugated in basic tenses and how the nominative case functions, as the object of the action moves to the subject position in a passive sentence.

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Words in This Pattern

-il