-en / -diği

Choosing -en or -diği

Level 4

Turkish relative clauses precede the noun they modify. The choice between -(y)en and -diği depends on the role of the 'head noun' (the noun being described) within that clause.

How It Works

Turkish relative clauses function like adjectives. Unlike English, which uses relative pronouns like 'who' or 'which' after the noun, Turkish uses participles before the noun. These participles are generally non-future, representing both present and past actions depending on the context.

1. The Subject Participle: -(y)en
Use this when the noun you are describing is the one performing the action.
Example: Koşan çocuk (The child who runs / The child who ran).

2. The Non-Subject Participle: -diği
Use this when the noun you are describing is the object, location, or time, or when someone else is the subject of the relative clause.
Example: Okuduğum kitap (The book that I read) or Oturduğumuz ev (The house where we live).

  • Follows four-way vowel harmony (-dığı, -diği, -duğu, -düğü).
  • Mandatory Possessive: The -dik suffix must be followed by a possessive suffix to indicate the subject of the action.
  • Unlike the subject participle, the non-future -dik suffix is attached directly to vowel-ending stems without a buffer (e.g., oku- + -duğu = okuduğu).
  • If the verb stem ends in a voiceless consonant, the 'd' becomes 't' due to consonant assimilation (e.g., git- + -diği = gittiği).
  • The final 'k' undergoes consonant softening to 'ğ' before possessive suffixes that start with a vowel, such as -im, -in, -i / -ı / -u / -ü, or -imiz / -iniz. Note that the 3rd person singular suffix does not use the buffer '-s-' here because the participle ends in a consonant.
  • Note: The 'k' does not soften before the 3rd person plural suffix -leri because it starts with a consonant (e.g., okudukları).
  • The subject of the clause takes the genitive case (e.g., Ali'nin), though pronouns like benim are often dropped if the possessive suffix makes the subject clear.
  • For future actions, use the -eceği participle, which does require a buffer consonant -y- after vowels (e.g., bekleyeceği).

3. The 'Whose' Rule
The choice depends on the role of the possessed item within the relative clause:

  • Use -(y)en if the possessed item is the subject: Arabası bozulan adam (The man whose car broke down).
  • Use -diği if the possessed item is the object: Arabasını tamir ettiğim adam (The man whose car I repaired).

Examples (6)

  1. Dışarıda bekleyen adamı tanıyor musun?

    Do you know the man who is waiting outside?

    Word by Word: Outside waiting man-acc know-pres-you?

    The man is the subject of the action 'waiting', so the -(y)en participle is used.

  2. Annemin yaptığı pastayı herkes çok beğendi.

    Everyone liked the cake that my mother made very much.

    Word by Word: Mother-my-gen made-her cake-acc everyone very liked.

    Here, the subject of the relative clause is a noun ('annem'). It takes the genitive case ('annemin') while the verb takes the -diği participle with a possessive suffix.

  3. Senin yazdığın mektubu aldım.

    I received the letter that you wrote.

    Word by Word: Your wrote-your letter-acc I-received.

    The letter is the object of the action 'writing'. Note the genitive 'senin' and the possessive '-in' on the participle.

  4. Arabası bozulan adam yardım bekliyor.

    The man whose car broke down is waiting for help.

    Word by Word: Car-his breaking-down man help waits.

    We use -(y)en because the 'car' (the possessed item) is the subject of the verb 'breaking down'.

  5. Arabasını tamir ettiğim adam çok nazik.

    The man whose car I repaired is very kind.

    Word by Word: Car-his-acc repair did-my man very kind.

    We use -diği because the 'car' is the object of the action 'repairing' performed by 'me'.

  6. Okuyacağın kitabı masaya bıraktım.

    I left the book that you will read on the table.

    Word by Word: Will-read-your book-acc table-dat I-left.

    For future actions where the noun is the object, -eceği is used instead of -diği.

Common Mistakes

  • Using English word order (placing the clause after the noun).

    Adam gelen dün...
    Dün gelen adam...

    In Turkish, the relative clause (the description) must always come before the noun it modifies.

  • Forgetting the possessive suffix or the genitive case on the subject with -diği.

    Ben okuduğum kitap...
    Benim okuduğum kitap...

    The -dik participle requires a mandatory possessive suffix to indicate who is performing the action. The subject takes the genitive case (though pronouns like 'benim' are often dropped).

  • Using -en for object clauses because it is simpler.

    Yediğim elma (The apple I ate) vs. Yiyen elma (The apple that eats).
    Yediğim elma.

    If you use -en when you mean -diği, you change the meaning from 'the thing I acted upon' to 'the thing that is acting'.

How It Connects

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

-en / -diğiLevel 4Choosing -en or -diği

Learn This First

To choose between -en and -diği, you must first understand how each participle functions individually. The -en participle acts as a subject relative clause (the one doing the action), while the -diği participle acts as an object relative clause (the thing being acted upon). Because the -diği form uses possessive endings to indicate the subject of the sub-clause, a solid grasp of possessive constructions is also necessary.

Words in This Pattern

-en-dik