-me/-ma (olumsuzluk eki)

The Negative Suffix

Level 2

Turkish negates verbs by adding -me or -ma. It follows two-way vowel harmony and is placed after the verb stem (and any voice suffixes) but before tense and person markers.

How It Works

The negative suffix -me/-ma is the standard way to negate verbs in Turkish across all tenses and moods.

1. Vowel Harmony:
It follows two-way vowel harmony:

  • Use -ma after back vowels (a, ı, o, u). Example: Bak-ma-dı (He didn't look).
  • Use -me after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü). Example: Gel-me-di (He didn't come).

2. Word Stress:
The negative suffix is generally 'stress-repelling' in standard conjugations. In a positive verb like gel-DİM, the stress is at the end. In a negative verb, the stress typically moves to the syllable immediately before the negation: GEL-me-dim.

3. Phonological Changes:

  • Present Continuous: When followed by -iyor, the vowel narrows to -mı, -mi, -mu, or -mü (e.g., gel-mi-yor).
  • Aorist Tense: In the negative aorist, the suffix becomes -mez/-maz. However, the -z is dropped in the first person singular (yap-ma-m) and plural (yap-ma-yız).

4. Negative Potential:
To express 'cannot', the suffix -(y)eme / -(y)ama is used. Note that the negation follows the potential marker: gel-e-me-dim (I could not come).

5. Placement:
The negative suffix follows the verb stem and any voice suffixes (like the passive or causative), but it always comes before tense markers and person endings. The general order is: Stem + Voice + Potential + Negation + Tense + Person.

Examples (4)

  1. Dün okula gelmedim.

    I didn't come to school yesterday.

    Word by Word: Yesterday school-to come-not-past-I.

    Here, -me is added to the stem 'gel' (come) before the past tense marker.

  2. Seni hiç unutmayacağım.

    I will never forget you.

    Word by Word: You (acc.) never forget-not-future-I.

    The suffix -ma negates the future tense. Note that 'hiç' (never) requires a negative verb.

  3. O, et yemiyor.

    He/she is not eating meat.

    Word by Word: He/she meat eat-not-present continuous.

    In the present continuous, the -me vowel narrows to -mi (ye-mi-yor).

  4. Lütfen buraya bakma.

    Please don't look here.

    Word by Word: Please here-to look-not.

    This shows the negative imperative (command) form.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'değil' to negate a verb.

    Ben gitmek değil.
    Gitmiyorum.

    Değil negates nouns and adjectives. A verb like 'gitmek' takes the -me/-ma suffix instead.

  • Incorrect stress placement.

    gel-me-DİM
    GEL-me-dim

    Native speakers never stress the negative suffix itself; the stress stays on the syllable before it.

  • Using a positive verb with 'hiç' (never).

    Hiç geldim.
    Hiç gelmedim.

    In Turkish, hiç meaning 'never' must be paired with a negative verb. In questions, 'hiç' means 'ever' and takes a positive verb: 'Hiç İstanbul'a gittin mi?' (Have you ever been to Istanbul?).

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-me/-ma (olumsuzluk eki)Level 2The Negative Suffix

Learn This First

To understand the negative suffix -me/-ma, you need to know how two-way vowel harmony works to choose between the two forms. It is also helpful to understand the verb stem (the imperative form), as this suffix is placed immediately after the stem before any other tense or person markers.

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-me