-ılır

Present Passive

Level 4

The present passive (-ılır) shifts the focus from the person doing the action to the object receiving it. It is used for ongoing actions ('is being done') or general facts ('is done').

How It Works

The present passive is a vital part of Azerbaijani, especially in formal and academic contexts. It allows the speaker to omit the agent (the 'doer') when they are unknown or unimportant.

1. Suffix Selection:

  • -ıl / -il / -ul / -ül: Used for most stems ending in a consonant (e.g., yaz-ıl-ır).
  • -n: Used for stems ending in a vowel (e.g., oxu-n-ur). After the letter 'l' the suffix is -ın/-in/-un/-ün (e.g., bil-in-ir).

2. Vowel Harmony:
The suffix follows the four-way vowel harmony rule. The vowel in the suffix must match the last vowel of the verb stem.

3. Usage Contexts:

  • General Facts: 'Burada çörək satılır' (Bread is sold here).
  • Ongoing Processes: 'Məsələ müzakirə olunur' (The issue is being discussed).
  • Formal Tone: News reports and official documents rely heavily on this pattern to maintain objectivity.

4. Compound Verbs:
For verbs formed with etmək, the passive usually becomes edilir or olunur.

Examples (5)

  1. Pəncərələr hər həftə yuyulur.

    The windows are washed every week.

    Word by Word: Windows every week are-being-washed.

    Here, the passive suffix '-ul' is added to 'yuy-' (wash) to show a habitual action.

  2. Yeni qanun layihəsi parlamentdə müzakirə olunur.

    The new bill is being discussed in parliament.

    Word by Word: New law project in-parliament discussion is-being-done.

    Uses 'olunur' to make the compound verb 'müzakirə etmək' passive.

  3. Bu mağazada təzə meyvələr satılır.

    Fresh fruits are sold in this store.

    Word by Word: This in-store fresh fruits are-sold.

    A general fact using the passive form of 'satmaq' (to sell).

  4. Məktub indi yazılır.

    The letter is being written now.

    Word by Word: Letter now is-being-written.

    Demonstrates an action currently in progress.

  5. Kitab maraqla oxunur.

    The book is being read with interest.

    Word by Word: Book with-interest is-being-read.

    Since 'oxu-' ends in a vowel, the '-n' suffix is used instead of '-ıl'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong passive suffix on vowel stems.

    Kitab oxuulur.
    Kitab oxunur.

    If a verb stem ends in a vowel, you must use '-n' instead of '-ıl' to avoid awkward vowel clusters.

  • Violating four-way vowel harmony.

    Məktub yazilir.
    Məktub yazılır.

    The suffix must match the stem vowel. Since 'yaz' has a back-unrounded 'a', the suffix must use 'ı'.

  • Overusing 'tərəfindən' (by) in casual speech.

    Different MeaningÇörək satıcı tərəfindən satılır.
    Satıcı çörək satır.

    While 'tərəfindən' is grammatically correct, Azerbaijani speakers prefer active sentences when the agent is known. Use the passive only when the agent is hidden or irrelevant.

How It Connects

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-ılırLevel 4Present Passive

Learn This First

To understand the present passive, you need to know how to form the passive stem using the -ıl suffix and how to conjugate verbs in the present tense using the -ır suffix. Both suffixes follow 4-way vowel harmony rules.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-il