-ip/-ıp

Joining Verbs with -ip

Level 3

The -ip/-ıp suffix (conjunctive converb) allows you to chain verbs together without repeating tense or person endings. It creates a smooth flow, usually indicating a sequence of actions performed by the same person.

How It Works

The -ip/-ıp suffix is a hallmark of natural Turkish. It follows the four-way vowel harmony system and requires a buffer -y- if the verb stem ends in a vowel.

Key Rules:

  • Shared Subject: The subject of all verbs in the chain is usually the same. If the subjects are different, you usually use ve or -ince/-ınca.
  • Shared Tense: The verbs share the same tense and person markers, which are only attached to the final verb in the sequence.
  • Negation Nuance: While tense is shared, negation is more complex. A negative final verb often only negates the final action (e.g., Gidip görmedi - He went but didn't see). To negate the first action specifically, use -mayıp / -meyip.
  • Sequential Actions: It describes actions happening one after another. For simultaneous actions, use -erek/-arak.
  • Causal Nuance: The sequence often implies a cause-and-effect relationship, where the first action leads to the second (e.g., Korkup kaçtı - He ran away because he was scared).
  • Whether or Not: A core use for intermediate learners is the V-ip V-me- construction (e.g., gelip gelmediği), which translates to 'whether or not [someone] did/does/will do' something.
  • The 'To Be' Exception: You cannot attach -ip to the copula. To say 'being' in a chain, use olup (from olmak).

Vowel Harmony Guide:

  • a, ı → -ıp (al → alıp)
  • e, i → -ip (gel → gelip)
  • o, u → -up (koş → koşup)
  • ö, ü → -üp (gül → gülüp)

Examples (6)

  1. Marketten ekmek alıp eve döndüm.

    I bought bread from the market and returned home.

    Word by Word: From-market bread buy-and to-home I-returned.

    The suffix -ıp links 'buying' and 'returning'. The past tense and 'I' person marker are only on the final verb 'döndüm'.

  2. Oraya gidip onu görmedim.

    I went there but I didn't see him.

    Word by Word: To-there go-and him I-did-not-see.

    Unlike tense, negation on the final verb does not always apply to the first verb. Here, the speaker did go, but the second action (seeing) did not happen.

  3. Ödevini yapmayıp televizyon izledi.

    He didn't do his homework and [instead] watched television.

    Word by Word: His-homework not-doing-and television he-watched.

    To explicitly negate only the first action while the second remains positive, the negative suffix -ma/-me is attached directly to the -ip form.

  4. Kalkıp, giyinip, dışarı çıktı.

    He got up, got dressed, and went out.

    Word by Word: Getting-up, getting-dressed, outside he-went.

    You can chain multiple verbs together to show a sequence of events performed by the same person.

  5. Toplantıya gelip gelmeyeceğini bilmiyorum.

    I don't know whether or not he will come to the meeting.

    Word by Word: To-meeting come-and not-come-future-his-accusative I-don't-know.

    The -ip suffix is used with a negative form of the same verb to create 'whether or not' structures in object clauses.

  6. Bu kötü habere sadece gülüp geçti.

    He just laughed off this bad news.

    Word by Word: This bad news-to only laugh-and passed.

    Some verb pairs like 'gülüp geçmek' (to laugh something off) act as a single conceptual unit or idiom.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -ip when the subjects of the two verbs are different.

    Sen gelip ben gideceğim.
    Sen gelince ben gideceğim.

    In the incorrect example, 'you' is the subject of coming, but 'I' am the subject of going. For different subjects, use -ince/-ınca or ve instead of -ip.

  • Adding tense or person markers to the -ip verb.

    Kapıyı açtıp çıktım.
    Kapıyı açıp çıktım.

    The verb taking -ip must remain a bare stem (plus the buffer -y- if needed). It cannot take suffixes like -di or -iyor.

How It Connects

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-ip/-ıpLevel 3Joining Verbs with -ip

Learn This First

To use the -ip/-ıp suffix, you need to understand four-way vowel harmony and how to use the buffer consonant -y- for stems ending in vowels. Additionally, since -ip joins verbs where only the final verb carries the tense and person markers, familiarity with basic verb conjugations like the simple past is necessary to understand the full sentence structure.

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-ip