-ir -mez

The Moment Something Happens

Level 3

The -ir -mez pattern is the standard Turkish way to say "as soon as" or "the moment that." It links two actions in immediate succession.

How It Works

The -ir -mez construction functions as a converb (zarf-fiil), creating a temporal bridge between two events. Unlike the more general -ince (when), this pattern emphasizes that there is zero delay between the trigger and the result.

1. Formation:
The pattern follows this structure: [Verb Stem] + [Positive Aorist] + [Verb Stem] + [Negative Aorist].

  • Positive Part: Follows standard aorist rules. Use -r after vowels, -ar/-er for most single-syllable stems, and -ır/-ir/-ur/-ür for multi-syllable stems and the 13 exceptions.
  • Negative Part: Always uses -maz or -mez based on two-way vowel harmony.

2. Subject and Tense:
The -ir -mez block itself is invariable and does not take personal endings. While the tense is determined by the main verb, the subject can be different. If the subject of the -ir -mez action differs from the main subject, it must be explicitly stated (e.g., Güneş batar batmaz hava soğudu - As soon as the sun set, the weather got cold).

3. Idiomatic Uses:
Some common fixed expressions use this pattern to describe a state of mind or manner rather than time, such as ister istemez (willy-nilly / inevitably) and bilir bilmez (without really knowing / superficially).

4. Usage:
It is used in all registers, from casual speech to formal writing. While it often describes past events, it is also frequently used for future promises (e.g., "I will call you as soon as I arrive").

Examples (4)

  1. Eve gelir gelmez ödevlerini yapmaya başladı.

    As soon as he got home, he started doing his homework.

    Word by Word: Home to-come not-come homework-his to-do he-started.

    Here, 'gelir gelmez' uses the exception 'gelir' (positive) and 'gelmez' (negative) to show the immediate start of the homework.

  2. Haberi duyar duymaz beni ara.

    Call me the moment you hear the news.

    Word by Word: News-the hear not-hear me call.

    This uses the single-syllable aorist 'duyar' to create an imperative instruction for the future.

  3. Güneş batar batmaz hava soğudu.

    The moment the sun set, the weather got cold.

    Word by Word: Sun sink not-sink weather got-cold.

    This shows a natural cause-and-effect relationship with no time gap.

  4. Yemeğini bitirir bitirmez dışarı çıkabilirsin.

    You can go out as soon as you finish your meal.

    Word by Word: Meal-your finish not-finish outside you-can-go.

    Since 'bitir-' is multi-syllabic, it takes the '-ir' aorist suffix.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding personal endings to the -ir -mez pattern.

    Ben gelir gelmezim seni arayacağım.
    Ben gelir gelmez seni arayacağım.

    The -ir -mez pattern is a converb and never takes personal suffixes. The 'I' (ben) is understood from the final verb 'arayacağım'.

  • Using the wrong aorist vowel for the positive part.

    Alar almaz bana haber ver.
    Alır almaz bana haber ver.

    The verb 'almak' is one of the 13 exceptions that takes -ır instead of -ar in the aorist.

How It Connects

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

-ir -mezLevel 3The Moment Something Happens

Learn This First

The '-ir -mez' pattern is a compound structure formed by repeating a verb stem with the positive Aorist suffix followed by the negative Aorist suffix. To use it, you must be familiar with Aorist (Geniş Zaman) conjugation rules for both positive and negative forms.

Words in This Pattern

-mez