Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar

APPENDIX 2:
TENSE/ASPECT/ MODALITY SUFFIXES
The following list shows all the suffixes used in Turkish to express tense, aspect and/or
modality (Chapter 21), together with a brief indication of their meanings. Except where
otherwise shown (by ‘or’ or the use of roman numerals), the various elements of meaning
shown for each suffix are present simultaneously in every usage of that form. For
example, every usage of -DI involves past tense, perfective aspect and factual modality.
Individual occurrences of -(A/I)r/-mAz, on the other hand, while they may be open to
more than one interpretation, may also fall into just one of the three patterns of meaning
shown.
-(y)Abil
Possibility (21.4.2.1):
VERBAL TENSE/ASPECT/MODALITY SUFFIXES (8.2.3)
(1) Hasan Fransızca oku-yabil-iyor.
‘Hasan can read French.’
(2) Yağmur yağ-abil-ir.
‘It may rain.’
-(y)A-mAz
Negative possibility (21.4.2.1):
(3) Oraya gid-e-mez-sin.
‘You can’t go there.’
-DI
Past tense (21.2.1)
Perfective aspect (21.3, 21.3.1)
Neutral modality (direct knowledge) (21.4):
(4) Arabamı sat-tı-m.
‘I sold/have sold my car.’
-mIş
Relative past tense (21.2.1)
Perfective aspect (21.3, 21.3.1)
Evidential modality (indirect knowledge) (21.4.3)
(5) Burada yağmur yağ-mış.