-(y)miş (ad cümlesi)
Evidential with Nouns
The evidential copula -(y)miş is used in nominal sentences (sentences without a main verb) to indicate that the information is not witnessed firsthand. It translates to 'apparently,' 'I heard that,' or 'it turns out that.'
How It Works
In Turkish, how you know something is just as important as what you know. When you describe a noun or adjective (an ad cümlesi), you use -(y)miş as the copula base instead of the standard present or past forms if you didn't witness the state yourself.
1. The Three Main Uses:
- Hearsay: Reporting what someone else told you. (e.g., 'They say he is a doctor.')
- Inference: Drawing a conclusion from visible signs. (e.g., 'The lights are off, so he must be out.')
- Mirativity (Surprise): Expressing a sudden realization. (e.g., 'Oh, this cake is actually delicious!')
2. Grammar Rules:
- Personal Endings: When using -(y)miş, you attach personal endings after the suffix (e.g., öğrenciymişim - 'I am apparently a student').
- Vowel Harmony: It follows four-way vowel harmony (-mış, -miş, -muş, -müş).
- Buffer Consonant: If the word ends in a vowel, you must use the buffer letter -y- (e.g., hastaymış).
- Questions: In questions, the suffix attaches to the question word (e.g., Doktor muymuş? - 'Is he [apparently] a doctor?').
- Negation: Attach the suffix to değil (e.g., evde değilmiş).
3. Time Ambiguity: The nominal -(y)miş is time-neutral. Depending on the context, O zenginmiş can mean 'He is (apparently) rich now' or 'He was (apparently) rich then.' It focuses on the source of information rather than a specific point in time.
Examples (5)
- Yeni komşumuz mühendismiş.
Our new neighbor is (apparently) an engineer.
Word by Word: New neighbor-our engineer-apparently-is.
The speaker is reporting information they likely heard from someone else, not something they verified themselves.
- Hava çok soğukmuş, baksana herkes palto giyiyor.
The weather is (apparently) very cold; look, everyone is wearing coats.
Word by Word: Weather very cold-apparently, look-at-it everyone coat is-wearing.
This is an inference. The speaker hasn't stepped outside yet but concludes it's cold based on what people are wearing.
- Aaa, bu yemek çok lezzetliymiş!
Oh, this food is (actually) very delicious!
Word by Word: Oh, this food very delicious-apparently!
This expresses surprise (mirativity). The speaker is tasting the food and realizing it's better than they expected.
- Ali bugün evde değilmiş.
Apparently Ali isn't at home today.
Word by Word: Ali today at-home not-apparently.
The suffix attaches to 'değil' to negate the statement based on hearsay.
- Bir varmış, bir yokmuş...
Once there was, once there wasn't...
Word by Word: One there-was-apparently, one there-wasn't-apparently...
This is the classic opening for Turkish folktales, using the evidential copula because the narrator didn't witness the ancient events.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to add personal endings after -(y)miş.
Ben öğretmenmiş.Ben öğretmenmişim.The suffix -(y)miş replaces the standard copula, but you must still attach personal endings to it to indicate who the subject is.
Forgetting the buffer -y- after vowels.
O hastamış.O hastaymış.Because the suffix starts with a vowel (in its underlying form 'imiş'), you must use the buffer letter -y- when the base word ends in a vowel.
Stressing the suffix itself.
DoktorMUŞ.DokTORmuş.The copula -(y)miş is pre-accenting, meaning the stress stays on the noun or adjective syllable immediately before the suffix.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the evidential with nouns, you first need to be comfortable with basic nominal sentences (ad cümlesi). You also need to understand the semantic function of the -miş suffix (hearsay, inference, or surprise) as used in verbs, and how the buffer consonant -y- functions when attaching suffixes starting with a vowel to words ending in a vowel.
- Sentences Without a Verb
The evidential suffix -(y)miş is applied to non-verbal predicates, so understanding how basic nominal sentences are formed is essential.
Level 1 - -miş (öğrenilen geçmiş)The Evidential Past
The suffix -(y)miş is the nominal version of the evidential past tense marker -miş; understanding its core meaning of hearsay or inference is necessary.
Level 3 - -y-Buffer Consonant -y-
The suffix -(y)miş requires the buffer consonant -y- when attached to words ending in a vowel, which is a key morphological rule for this pattern.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- -(y)di (ad cümlesinde geçmiş)Past of Sentences Without a Verb
The witnessed past counterpart; use -(y)di if you saw the state yourself.
Level 2 - değilSaying Something Is Not
Used to form the negative version of evidential nominal sentences.
Level 1 - Word Stress
Important because -(y)miş changes the standard stress pattern of the word.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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Practice -(y)miş (ad cümlesi) in Bubblegum
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