-(y)eli

Since (-eli)

Level 4

The suffix -(y)eli attaches to a verb stem to mark the starting point of a duration. It is the Turkish equivalent of 'since' when referring to an event.

How It Works

The -(y)eli suffix is a zarf-fiil (adverbial gerund) that creates a temporal bridge from a past event to the present.

1. Formation:

  • Verb Stem + (y) + eli/alı
  • Example: gel- (to come) → geleli (since coming)
  • Example: oku- (to read) → okuyalı (since reading)

2. Usage with 'oldu' and 'geçti':
It is very common to use this pattern to state exactly how much time has passed since an event: Geleli üç gün oldu (It has been three days since [I/he/she] came).

3. The Negative Form:
The negative version -meyeli / -mayalı is highly idiomatic. It emphasizes the long absence of an action: Görüşmeyeli çok oldu (It has been a long time since we last met).

4. Subject Agreement:
Crucially, -(y)eli does not take personal endings. The person performing the action is determined by the context or the main verb. Note that the subject of the gerund and the main verb do not have to be the same (e.g., Sen gideli her şey değişti - Everything has changed since you left).

5. Emphatic Doubling:
In colloquial speech, you may hear the pattern [Verb-DI + Person] [Verb-(y)eli]. Unlike the second part, the first verb must take personal suffixes to indicate the subject. Example: Geldim geleli (Ever since the moment I came) or Geldik geleli (Ever since the moment we came).

6. Comparison:
While -(y)eli is common for specific time durations, the structure '-diğinden beri' is often used for more general states or descriptions.

Examples (5)

  1. Türkiye'ye geleli iki yıl oldu.

    It has been two years since I came to Turkey.

    Word by Word: Turkey-to come-since two year became.

    Here, 'geleli' marks the starting point (arriving in Turkey) and 'oldu' indicates the elapsed time.

  2. Sen gideli buraların tadı tuzu kalmadı.

    Ever since you left, these places haven't been the same.

    Word by Word: You go-since these-places' taste salt remained-not.

    This uses a common idiom 'tadı tuzu kalmamak' to show how a state changed since the person left.

  3. Görüşmeyeli epey zaman geçti, nasılsın?

    A lot of time has passed since we last met, how are you?

    Word by Word: Meet-not-since quite time passed, how-are-you?

    The negative form '-meyeli' is used here to mean 'since the last time we met'.

  4. Oraya taşınalı hiç uyumadım.

    I haven't slept at all since moving there.

    Word by Word: There move-since at-all slept-not-I.

    This shows that -(y)eli can be used with any main verb, not just 'oldu' or 'geçti'.

  5. Okul biteli beri iş arıyorum.

    I have been looking for a job since school finished.

    Word by Word: School finish-since since job looking-for-I.

    While 'beri' is technically redundant after -(y)eli, it is very common in spoken Turkish for emphasis.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding personal endings to the -(y)eli suffix.

    Biz gelelim iki saat oldu.
    Biz geleli iki saat oldu.

    The -(y)eli suffix is a gerund and never takes personal endings like -im, -sin, or -iz. The subject is indicated by a pronoun or the main verb.

  • Using four-way vowel harmony instead of two-way harmony.

    Gidili çok oldu.
    Gideli çok oldu.

    This suffix only uses -alı or -eli. Even if the verb stem has 'i', the suffix must be '-eli' following two-way vowel harmony rules.

How It Connects

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

-(y)eliLevel 4Since (-eli)

Learn This First

To understand the '-(y)eli' pattern, you need to know how to handle vowel harmony and buffer consonants when attaching suffixes to verb stems. It is also helpful to understand the concept of 'since' as expressed with nouns using '-den beri', as this pattern performs the same function for actions.

Words in This Pattern

-eli