-(y)en/-(y)an

The -en Participle

Level 4

The -(y)en/-(y)an suffix creates relative clauses like 'the man who came' or 'the crying baby.' It is used when the noun being described is the one performing the action.

How It Works

The -(y)en/-(y)an participle is a versatile tool for building complex sentences. Here is how to use it:

1. Formation:
Attach the suffix to the verb stem following two-way vowel harmony:

  • Use -en after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü).
  • Use -an after back vowels (a, ı, o, u).
  • If the verb stem ends in a vowel, insert the buffer consonant -y- (e.g., bekle-y-en).

2. Tense Usage:
This participle is used for actions occurring in the present or those that happened in the past. The specific timing is usually determined by the main verb or time adverbs like 'dün' (yesterday). It is not the usual choice for future actions. For those, use the future participle, though a planned event with a time word is possible (yarın gelen misafirler, the guests who come tomorrow).

3. Negation:
To say 'the one who does not...', add the negative suffix before the participle: gel-me-y-en (the one who does not come).

4. Substantive Use:
This participle can stand alone as a noun. For example, Gelenler means 'Those who came' or 'The ones coming.'

Examples (5)

  1. Dün bize gelen adamı tanıyor musun?

    Do you know the man who came to us yesterday?

    Word by Word: Yesterday to-us coming man-acc know-pres-you?

    Here, 'gelen' describes the 'adam' (man). Since the man is the one who performed the action of coming, we use the -(y)en participle.

  2. Ağlayan bebeği susturmaya çalışıyor.

    She is trying to quiet the crying baby.

    Word by Word: Crying baby-acc to-quiet she-is-trying.

    The baby is the subject of the crying, so 'ağla-' (to cry) becomes 'ağlayan'.

  3. Sınavda en yüksek notu alan öğrenci ödüllendirildi.

    The student who got the highest grade in the exam was rewarded.

    Word by Word: Exam-in most high grade-acc taking student was-rewarded.

    The student is the one who 'took' (aldı) the grade, so we use 'alan'.

  4. Süt içmeyen çocuklar için meyve suyu aldım.

    I bought fruit juice for the children who do not drink milk.

    Word by Word: Milk not-drinking children for fruit juice I-bought.

    This shows the negative form '-meyen'. The children are the ones not drinking the milk.

  5. Koşan köpek çok hızlı.

    The running dog is very fast.

    Word by Word: Running dog very fast.

    A simple example where the verb 'koşmak' (to run) describes the dog.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the buffer 'y' when the verb stem ends in a vowel.

    Bekleen otobüs gelmedi.
    Bekleyen otobüs gelmedi.

    Because 'bekle-' ends in a vowel, you must use the buffer -y- before adding -en.

  • Using -(y)en when the noun is the object of the action.

    Yiyen elma çok lezzetli.
    Yediğim elma çok lezzetli.

    'Yiyen elma' would mean 'the apple that eats.' To say 'the apple that I ate,' you must use the -dik participle.

  • Trying to include tense suffixes like -iyor or -di before the participle.

    Geliyoran adam...
    Gelen adam...

    The participle suffix replaces the tense marker. You cannot combine them.

How It Connects

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

-(y)en/-(y)anLevel 4The -en Participle

Learn This First

To understand the -en participle, you need to know how to apply two-way vowel harmony and how to use the buffer consonant -y- when a verb ends in a vowel. Additionally, since this pattern turns a verb into an adjective, you should be familiar with how adjectives are placed before nouns in Turkish.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-an-en