Ben gelmiyorum.
English: I am not coming.
- Language
- Turkish
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Olumsuzluk
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The 'olumsuzluk eki' is the Turkish suffix used to make verbs negative, similar to saying 'not' in a sentence.
When to use it
Use the 'olumsuzluk eki' when you want to say that someone does not do something, or when something does not happen.
Key forms
- -me / -ma (added to the verb stem)
- Example: gelmek (to come) → gelmemek (not to come)
Examples
O yazmıyor.
English: He/She is not writing.
Biz okumuyoruz.
English: We are not reading.
Sen anlamıyorsun.
English: You are not understanding.
Tips
- The suffix changes to -me or -ma depending on vowel harmony.
- Do not use both 'değil' and the negative suffix together on verbs.
- The negative suffix comes before the tense/person endings.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs like 'etmek' and 'gitmek' have small spelling changes: 'etmek' → 'etmemek', 'gitmek' → 'gitmemek'.