-ıbmış/-ibmiş/-ubmuş/-übmüş

Reported Perfect Evidential

Level 5

The -ibmiş form is the 'Reported Perfect.' It translates to 'apparently had done' or 'it turns out they had done.' It is used when you didn't see the action happen, but you see the result now or heard about it from someone else.

How It Works

The -ıbmış / -ibmiş / -ubmuş / -übmüş pattern is a complex verb form used to express evidentiality—meaning the speaker is indicating the source of their information is not direct witness.

1. Discovery (Mirative): You use this when you encounter a situation and realize something happened in the past that you weren't aware of. For example, finding a window open: Pəncərə açıq qalıbmış (Apparently, the window had been left open).

2. Hearsay/Reported: You use this to relay information you learned from others about a past state. Eşitdim ki, o, çoxdan gedibmiş (I heard that he had already gone).

3. Formation:
It follows vowel harmony (4-way):

  • -ıbmış: after a, ı (e.g., al- → alıbmış)
  • -ibmiş: after e, ə, i (e.g., gəl- → gəlibmiş)
  • -ubmuş: after o, u (e.g., oxu- → oxuyubmuş)
  • -übmüş: after ö, ü (e.g., gör- → görübmüş)

4. Personal Endings: Unlike the simple -ıb past, this form takes a full set of personal endings (e.g., -am, -san, -lar).

5. Nuance vs. -mışdı: While -mışdı is a definite pluperfect (had done), -ibmiş adds the flavor of 'I just found out' or 'so they say.'

Examples (4)

  1. Sən demə, o, hər şeyi çoxdan eşidibmiş.

    It turns out he had heard everything a long time ago.

    Word by Word: You not-say, he, every thing-acc long-ago hear-perf-evid.

    The phrase 'sən demə' (it turns out) is a very common partner for this grammar pattern to express surprise at a discovery.

  2. Qapı bütün gecəni açıq qalıbmış.

    Apparently, the door had stayed open all night.

    Word by Word: Door all night-acc open stay-perf-evid.

    The speaker likely just arrived and noticed the door is open, realizing it must have been that way for a while.

  3. Dünən öyrəndim ki, onlar artıq köçübmişlər.

    I learned yesterday that they had already moved.

    Word by Word: Yesterday I-learned that, they already move-perf-evid-plural.

    This shows the 'reported' function, where the speaker is relaying information they acquired indirectly.

  4. Mən sənə zəng edəndə sən yatıbmışsan.

    Apparently you had been sleeping when I called you.

    Word by Word: I to-you call when-doing you sleep-perf-evid-2sg.

    Used here because the speaker is inferring the other person's past state based on why they didn't answer.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the pattern for direct, conscious personal memories.

    Mən dünən evə gəlibmişəm.
    Mən dünən evə gəldim.

    If you clearly remember coming home, use the simple past (-dı). Use -ibmişəm only if you are surprised by your own past action (e.g., 'Apparently I had fallen asleep on the sofa').

  • Failing to harmonize the second part of the suffix.

    O, gəlib-mış.
    O, gəlib-miş.

    Both parts of the suffix must follow vowel harmony. Since 'gəlib' has 'i', the second part must be 'miş'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-ıbmış/-ibmiş/-ubmuş/-übmüşLevel 5Reported Perfect Evidential

Learn This First

The pattern -ıbmış is a compound tense formed by combining the perfective suffix -ıb with the reported copula imiş. To understand it, learners must first be familiar with the basic reported past (-ıb) and how the copula imiş functions to indicate hearsay or unexpected discovery.