Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar

24.4.1.1 The non-case-marked form -mAk
Like all non-case-marked noun phrases (14.3.3.1), a noun clause containing -mAk without
the addition of any case suffixes can function as subject (41), subject complement (42), or
direct object (43) within the clause in which it is embedded. The only verb which
regularly takes a -mAk clause as its direct object is iste- ‘want’ (43). Other transitive
verbs require the accusative-marked form -mAyI (24.4.1.2).
(41) [Türkçe öğrenmek] zor.
‘[Learning Turkish] is difficult.’/‘It’s difficult [to learn Turkish].’
(42) Hayattaki en büyük nimetlerden biri [sevilmek]-tir.
‘One of the greatest blessings in life is [to be loved].’
The question of what is understood to be the subject of the -mAk clause depends on
whether the main clause (or another clause in which the -mAk clause is embedded) is
verbal or nominal.
(i) Where the superordinate clause is verbal, the subject of the -mAk clause can be one
of the following constituents of this superordinate clause:
(a) the subject:
(43) Sen [nereye gitmek] istiyorsun?
‘Where do you want [to go]?’
For another example see (39) above, and for passive -mAk clauses which are the subject
of their superordinate clause see 24.4.1.4.
(b) the direct object:
(44) [Bütün gün müze gezmek] bizi çok yormuştu.
‘[Going round museums all day] had worn us out.’
(c) the oblique object:
(45) [Ev taşımak] Nevin’e çok kolay geldi.
‘[Moving house] came very easily to Nevin.
(ii) Where a -mAk clause forms part of a nominal sentence, the subject of the -mAk clause
may or may not be identifiable:
(a) If the -mAk clause is the subject of the sentence, the subject of the noun clause may
be made explicit by the use of a postpositional phrase with için ‘for’ in the main clause:
(46) [Kimseye bir şey söylememek] kolay olmayacak benim için.
‘[Not telling anyone anything] is not going to be easy for me.’
In the absence of an için phrase, the subject of the noun clause may be inferable from the
context. In (47) it is the speaker:
(47) [Sizinle konuşmak] hoş oldu.
‘It’s been nice [talking to you].’
Noun clauses 359