-(y)ebilir

Can (Aorist Ability)

Level 3

The -(y)ebilir construction is the primary way to say 'can', 'may', or 'might' in Turkish. It combines a verb stem with the auxiliary verb 'bilmek' (to know) to indicate potentiality.

How It Works

The -(y)ebilir pattern, known as the Potential Mood (Yeterlik Fiili), is a compound verb construction. It covers three main areas:

  • Ability: Physical or mental capacity (e.g., 'I can swim').
  • Possibility: The likelihood of something happening (e.g., 'It might rain').
  • Permission: Asking for or giving permission (e.g., 'You may enter').

Morphology:
1. Take the verb stem.
2. Add the buffer -y- if the stem ends in a vowel.
3. Add -e (if the last vowel is e, i, ö, ü) or -a (if the last vowel is a, ı, o, u).
4. Add the auxiliary bil.
5. Add the Aorist tense suffix (always -ir for bil-).
6. Add the Aorist person endings (e.g., -im, -sin).

While the Aorist form is most common, the potential stem -(y)ebil- can be conjugated in other tenses, such as the Future Tense (yapabileceğim - I will be able to do it) or the Simple Past (yapabildim - I was able to do it).

Question Form:
To form questions, especially for permission, the question word follows the Aorist suffix: Girebilir miyim? (May I enter?). The personal ending attaches to the question particle.

Aorist vs. Present Continuous:
In modern Turkish, the Present Continuous form (-(y)ebiliyor) is very common. While it can describe an ability in the immediate moment, it is frequently used in speech to express general, permanent skills (e.g., İngilizce konuşabiliyorum - I can speak English), often replacing the Aorist form.

Negative Forms:
1. Inability: To say 'cannot', the auxiliary bil is dropped, but the -e/-a vowel remains. This is covered in the -(y)eme- and -(y)emez patterns.
2. Negative Possibility: To express 'might not', the negative suffix is placed before the potential suffix: [Stem] + [Negative] + -(y)ebil. Example: Gelmeyebilir (He might not come).
3. Double Potential Negative: To express 'might not be able to', you combine the inability vowel with the negative potential: [Stem] + [e/a] + [Negative] + -(y)ebil. Example: Gelemeyebilirim (I might not be able to come).

Examples (5)

  1. Bu ağır kutuyu tek başıma taşıyabilirim.

    I can carry this heavy box by myself.

    Word by Word: This heavy box-acc alone-my-dat carry-able-aorist-I

    Here, the pattern expresses physical ability. Note the buffer -y- after the vowel-ending stem 'taşı-'.

  2. Yarın kar yağabilir.

    It might snow tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow snow fall-able-aorist

    In this context, the pattern expresses possibility or probability.

  3. Pencereyi açabilir miyim?

    May I open the window?

    Word by Word: Window-acc open-able-aorist question-particle-I

    This is a common way to ask for permission politely using the question particle.

  4. Türkçe konuşabiliriz.

    We can speak Turkish.

    Word by Word: Turkish speak-able-aorist-we

    Expresses a shared ability or a suggestion of possibility.

  5. Toplantı her an başlayabilir.

    The meeting might start at any moment.

    Word by Word: Meeting every moment start-able-aorist

    Used here to indicate a likely event in the near future.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -meyebilir ('might not') when you mean 'cannot'.

    Bu işi yapmayabilirim.
    Bu işi yapamam.

    To say you cannot do something, the usual pattern drops 'bil' and uses -(y)eme-, as in yapamam. The form -meyebilir means 'might not', not 'cannot'.

  • Forgetting the buffer -y- after a vowel.

    Okuabilirim.
    Okuyabilirim.

    If a verb stem ends in a vowel (like oku-), you must use the buffer -y- before adding -abil.

How It Connects

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

-(y)ebilirLevel 3Can (Aorist Ability)

Learn This First

To understand the 'Can' (Ability) pattern, you need to know how to apply two-way vowel harmony and use the buffer consonant -y- for verbs ending in vowels. Crucially, this pattern is conjugated using the Aorist (Geniş Zaman) tense, so familiarity with Aorist endings is essential.

Words in This Pattern

-abilmek-ebilirbilmek