-mekten
Verbs That Take -mekten
The -mekten pattern is how Turkish verbs act as nouns in the ablative case. It is essential for expressing emotions like 'fearing' or 'liking' an action.
How It Works
The -mekten pattern follows two main rules of Turkish phonology:
- Two-way vowel harmony: Use -mekten for front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) and -maktan for back vowels (a, ı, o, u).
- Consonant assimilation: The 'd' of the ablative suffix always becomes 't' because it follows the voiceless 'k' of the infinitive.
Usage Scenarios:
1. Governed Verbs: Used when the main verb requires the ablative case. Common examples include hoşlanmak (to enjoy), korkmak (to fear), and nefret etmek (to hate).
2. General Actions: This form is used for general actions where the subject of the infinitive is the same as the main verb (e.g., 'I am tired of waiting').
3. Comparison: It is used with daha to mean 'than doing [something]'.
Important Distinction:
The -mekten form is for non-possessive contexts. If you need to specify who is doing the action (e.g., 'because of my going'), you must use the short infinitive -me/-ma with a possessive suffix (e.g., gitmemden). While -mekten looks similar to the 'without' suffix -meden, they serve different grammatical functions.
Examples (5)
- Yalnız kalmaktan çok korkuyorum.
I am very afraid of staying alone.
Word by Word: Alone to-stay-from very I-am-fearing.
The verb 'korkmak' (to fear) always requires the ablative case (-den/-dan) on its object.
- Kitap okumaktan zevk alıyorum.
I take pleasure in reading books.
Word by Word: Book to-read-from pleasure I-am-taking.
Here, 'okumaktan' shows the source of the pleasure.
- Seni beklemekten yoruldum.
I am tired of waiting for you.
Word by Word: You to-wait-from I-got-tired.
The verb 'yorulmak' (to get tired) uses the ablative to show the cause of the fatigue.
- Yalan söylemekten nefret eder.
He hates telling lies.
Word by Word: Lie to-tell-from hate he-does.
The compound verb 'nefret etmek' (to hate) governs the ablative case.
- Çalışmaktan hiç vaktim yok.
I have no time at all because of working.
Word by Word: To-work-from at-all my-time there-is-not.
In this context, the ablative indicates the reason why there is no time.
Common Mistakes
Using the accusative case (-meyi) with verbs that require the ablative.
Yüzmeyi korkuyorum.Yüzmekten korkuyorum.Even if English says 'afraid OF', Turkish 'korkmak' must take the ablative (-ten).
Using -mekten when the action has a specific subject (possessive).
Senin gelmekten çok mutluyum.Senin gelmenden çok mutluyum.When the action belongs to a specific person (like 'your coming'), you must use the short infinitive -me/-ma with a possessive suffix instead of -mekten.
Using -mekten where -meden is the usual choice for 'before doing'.
Gelmekten önce haber ver.Gelmeden önce haber ver.Use -meden önce for 'before doing'. -mekten önce is rare. -mekten is used for verbs that govern the ablative case or for general comparisons.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The -mekten pattern (Verbal Ablative) is used with specific verbs that govern the ablative case, such as 'hoşlanmak' (to like/enjoy) or 'korkmak' (to be afraid). To understand it, you need to know how to form the infinitive (-mek/-mak), how the ablative case works, and how consonant assimilation changes 'd' to 't' after the letter 'k'.
Related Patterns
- -meyiVerbs That Take -meyi
The accusative version of this pattern, used with verbs like 'sevmek'.
Level 4 - -medenWithout Doing
A similar-sounding suffix meaning 'without' or 'before', often confused by learners.
Level 4 - -mektenseRather than
An extension of this pattern used specifically for 'rather than'.
Level 5 - Consonant Assimilation
The phonetic rule that changes -den to -ten after the letter 'k'.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice -mekten in Bubblegum
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