B1 · Verb forms · about 7 minutes
The passive: “-il”, “-in”, “-n”
it is done, people do
Instead of “be done”, a piece inside the verb — and usually instead of “one” or “people” too.
Do you know this already?
“New to me”: the explanation first, then practice. “Test myself”: 3 short questions – get at least two right and you go straight to the harder exercises.
Words you will need6
They appear in this topic’s examples and exercises and are new at this point on the learning path.
- cüzdanwallet, purse
- iptal etmekto cancel
- faturabill, invoice (electricity, phone …)
- ödemekto pay
- sonuçresult, consequence
- açıklamakto explain
Understand
Remember-il after a consonant, -in after l, -n after a vowel — and the passive is often English “people” or “you”.
- Signal words
- tarafından
- -il
- -in
- -n
The form
From the base form to the new form
Each row first says what the form expresses, then shows it in Turkish: the base form before the arrow, the result after it.
| make → be made | yapmak → yapılmak |
| open → be opened | açmak → açılmak |
| see → be seen | görmek → görülmek |
| speak → be spoken | konuşmak → konuşulmak |
| find → be found | bulmak → bulunmak |
| know → be known | bilmek → bilinmek |
| read → be read | okumak → okunmak |
| expect → be expected | beklemek → beklenmek |
| pay → be paid | ödemek → ödenmek |
| repair → be repaired | tamir etmek → tamir edilmek |
| say → be said | demek → denmek |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
After a consonant it is -il with four-way harmony.
Müze saat dokuzda açılır.The museum opens at nine.
After an l it is -in.
Cüzdanım bulundu.My wallet has been found.
After a vowel it is -n.
Bu kitap çok okunuyor.This book is widely read.
The passive often stands for “you”, “people”, “one”.
Burada sigara içilmez.You can’t smoke here.
With etmek it is edilmek.
Toplantı iptal edildi.The meeting has been cancelled.
Example sentences
Fatura dün ödendi.The bill was paid yesterday.
Bu ev 1990'da yapıldı.This house was built in 1990.
Türkiye'de çok çay içilir.People drink a lot of tea in Turkey.
5 more example sentences
Bu Türkçede nasıl denir?How do you say this in Turkish?
Sonuçlar yarın açıklanacak.The results will be announced tomorrow.
Bu yol kışın kapatılıyor.This road is closed in winter.
Mektup henüz gönderilmedi.The letter hasn’t been sent yet.
Arabam tamir edildi.My car has been repaired.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English “people” or “you” in general statements gets translated as insan “a person”: Burada insan Almanca konuşuyor. That sounds as if one particular person were speaking. For a general “people, you, one” Turkish uses the passive.
Quick check
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Practise
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The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
The English passive needs “be”: “The museum is opened at nine.” In Turkish the stem carries the passive itself: açmak “to open” → açılmak “to be opened”. Müze saat dokuzda açılır.
Which piece comes depends on how the stem ends. After a consonant it is -il with four-way harmony: yap → yapıl, gör → görül. After an l it is -in: bul → bulun, bil → bilin. After a vowel -n is enough: oku → okun, bekle → beklen. With etmek it is edilmek.
Then any tense follows as usual: yapıldı“was done”yapılıyor“is being done”yapılacak“will be done”
The passive often replaces English “you”, “people” or “one” in general statements: Burada Almanca konuşuluyor. “German is spoken here.” — Burada sigara içilmez. “You can’t smoke here.” Who did it is rarely said; if it is, use tarafından “by”.
A closer look
Passive without a subject
Unlike English, even a verb with no object can go into the passive: Bu yoldan gidilmez. “You don’t take this road.” — Burada yüzülmez. “No swimming here.” On signs this is the usual form for prohibitions.
Bu kapıdan girilmez.No entry through this door.
Worth knowing2
Worth knowing
Compared with English
English has the passive and general “you” or “people” as two routes. In Turkish they merge: where English says “you” in a general sense, there is usually a passive.
Burada fotoğraf çekilmez.You can’t take photos here.
Worth knowing
One form, two meanings
After a vowel or l the passive looks like the reflexive form: yıkanmak means “to be washed” and “to have a wash”. The context decides.
Arabalar yıkandı. — Çocuklar yıkandı.The cars were washed. — The children had a wash.