-in (dönüşlü)

Reflexive Verbs

Level 5

The reflexive voice (dönüşlü çatı) uses the suffix -(i)n to show that the doer and the receiver of the action are the same person (e.g., 'to wash oneself').

How It Works

The reflexive voice indicates that the subject is both the agent and the patient of the verb. While it was once more common, in modern Turkish it is largely restricted to specific lexicalized verbs.

1. Formation:
The suffix is added directly to the verb stem:

  • If the stem ends in a vowel: Add -n (e.g., tara- → taranmak).
  • If the stem ends in a consonant: Add -ın, -in, -un, -ün (e.g., giy- → giyinmek).

2. Nuances:

  • Reflexive: Acting on one's own body (yıkanmak - to wash oneself, kaşınmak - to scratch oneself).
  • Middle Voice: Actions involving internal emotions or personal interest (sevinmek - to rejoice, övünmek - to boast). Note that some common middle-voice verbs use the passive suffix instead, such as üzülmek (to be sad/sorry), yorulmak (to get tired), and sıkılmak (to get bored).

3. The Passive Overlap:
This suffix is often confused with the passive voice. The overlap occurs in two cases: when a stem ends in a vowel (both use -n) and when a stem ends in -l (both use -ın/-in/-un/-ün). For example, alınmak can mean 'to be taken' (passive) or 'to take offense' (reflexive).

Crucially, if a verb stem ends in -n, the passive voice uses -il to avoid a double 'n' sound (e.g., yenmek → yenilmek 'to be defeated'), The reflexive behaves differently: the suffix -(i)n simply cannot attach to a stem that already ends in -n, so there is no reflexive form to build. Those verbs express reflexivity with the pronoun kendi instead, or are already inherently reflexive.

4. Modern Usage:
Because this suffix is no longer fully productive, speakers often use the reflexive pronoun kendi with an active verb to express reflexivity (e.g., Kendimi suçladım - I blamed myself).

Examples (4)

  1. Çocuk banyoda güzelce yıkandı.

    The child washed himself thoroughly in the bathroom.

    Word by Word: Child bathroom-in nicely washed-himself.

    Here, 'yıkandı' is the reflexive form of 'yıkamak' (to wash), showing the child performed the action on himself.

  2. Sınavı kazandığını duyunca çok sevindi.

    He was very happy when he heard he passed the exam.

    Word by Word: Exam-acc winning-his-acc hearing-when very rejoiced.

    'Sevinmek' is a middle-voice verb derived from 'sevmek' (to love), indicating an internal emotional state.

  3. Ayşe aynanın karşısında tarandı.

    Ayşe combed her hair in front of the mirror.

    Word by Word: Ayşe mirror-gen opposite-its-loc combed-herself.

    'Taranmak' is the reflexive form of 'taramak' (to comb). Since 'tara-' ends in a vowel, only '-n' is added.

  4. Yeni arabasıyla her yerde övünüyor.

    He boasts everywhere about his new car.

    Word by Word: New car-his-with every place-loc boasts.

    'Övünmek' (to boast/praise oneself) is a reflexive verb where the subject is the source of the praise.

Common Mistakes

  • Over-generalizing the suffix to all verbs.

    Aynada bakındım.
    Aynada kendime baktım.

    'Bakınmak' actually means 'to look around aimlessly.' To say 'I looked at myself,' you must use the pronoun 'kendi' because the suffix is not productive for the verb 'bakmak'.

  • Confusing reflexive and passive meanings.

    Ali dövündü.
    Ali dövüldü.

    'Dövünmek' means to beat one's chest in grief (reflexive), whereas 'dövülmek' means to be beaten (passive). Using the wrong suffix changes the meaning entirely.

How It Connects

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-in (dönüşlü)Level 5Reflexive Verbs

Learn This First

To understand reflexive verbs (-in), you need to be familiar with Four-Way Vowel Harmony for suffix attachment. It is also helpful to understand the passive voice, as they share similar suffixes, and the word 'kendi' which expresses the same reflexive meaning lexically.