-mek şartıyla / -mek kaydıyla

Provided That

Level 6

Use -mek şartıyla or -mek kaydıyla to express a strict requirement or a negotiated condition for an action to take place. It is the Turkish equivalent of 'provided that'.

How It Works

The structures -mek şartıyla / koşuluyla / kaydıyla are used to establish a specific proviso. Unlike the general conditional suffix, these patterns imply a formal agreement or a strict requirement.

1. Morphology and Synonyms:

  • -mek şartıyla: The most common form (Arabic root).
  • -mek koşuluyla: The modern 'Öztürkçe' (pure Turkish) equivalent, frequently used in academic and secular contexts.
  • -mek kaydıyla: Formed from kayıt (stipulation). Note that kayıt undergoes consonant softening and vowel dropping to become kaydıyla. This is the most formal/legal variant.

2. Negative Conditions:
To express a condition of not doing something, use the negative negative suffix within the infinitive: -memek şartıyla (e.g., kimseye söylememek şartıyla — on the condition of not telling anyone).

3. Personal vs. Impersonal:
If the subject is general, use the -mek form. To specify a subject, use the short infinitive with a possessive ending (e.g., yapman şartıyla — 'on the condition that you do it').

Examples (4)

  1. Geri getirmek şartıyla sözlüğümü ödünç alabilirsin.

    You can borrow my dictionary provided that you bring it back.

    Word by Word: Back to-bring with-its-condition my-dictionary to-borrow you-can.

    A common daily usage where a condition is set for lending an item.

  2. Erken teslim etmek şartıyla bu projeyi kabul edebiliriz.

    We can accept this project provided that it is delivered early.

    Word by Word: Early delivery to-do with-its-condition this project-acc accept we-can-do.

    Used here to set a professional requirement for an agreement.

  3. İsimleri gizli tutulmak kaydıyla tanıklar ifade vermeyi kabul etti.

    The witnesses agreed to testify on the condition that their names be kept secret.

    Word by Word: Names-their secret to-be-kept with-its-stipulation witnesses statement to-give accepted.

    A formal/legal example using 'kaydıyla' to denote a strict official proviso.

  4. Kimseye söylememen şartıyla sana bir sır vereceğim.

    I will tell you a secret on the condition that you don't tell anyone.

    Word by Word: To-anyone your-not-telling with-its-condition to-you one secret I-will-give.

    This uses the personal form (-me + possessive) to specify that 'you' are the one who must keep the secret.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the vowel drop in 'kaydıyla'.

    Kayıtıyla
    Kaydıyla

    The word 'kayıt' loses its second 'ı' and the 't' softens to 'd' when the possessive suffix is added.

  • Using 'şartıyla' at the beginning of a sentence.

    Şartıyla erken gelmek, gidebilirsin.
    Erken gelmek şartıyla gidebilirsin.

    Unlike the English 'Provided that...', the Turkish 'şartıyla' is a postpositional structure and must follow the verb it modifies.

How It Connects

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

-mek şartıyla / -mek kaydıylaLevel 6Provided That

Learn This First

To understand '-mek şartıyla', you need to know how to form the infinitive (-mek) and how to use possessive and instrumental suffixes to create the adverbial phrase 'on the condition of'.

Words in This Pattern

şartkayıt-mek