Ali saçını kestirdi.
English: Ali had his hair cut (made someone cut his hair).
- Language
- Turkish
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Fiil kipleri ve çatılar
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Turkish, reflexive verbs (dönüşlü fiiller) show that the subject does the action to itself, while causative verbs (ettirgen fiiller) indicate that the subject causes someone else to do the action. At B2 level, you learn more advanced uses and combinations of these forms.
When to use it
Use reflexive verbs when the subject acts on itself. Use causative verbs when the subject makes someone else perform the action. Advanced usage includes double forms and less common verbs.
Key forms
- Reflexive: verb stem + -in/-in/-un/-ün/-n (e.g. yıkanmak, giyinmek)
- Causative: verb stem + -dir/-tir/-dur/-tür/-ir/-er/-ar (e.g. yazdırmak, temizletmek)
Examples
Çocuk kendi başına giyindi.
English: The child dressed himself.
Annem evi temizletti.
English: My mother made someone clean the house.
Köpeğini yıkattı.
English: He/she had the dog washed.
Ben de bazen erken uyanıyorum.
English: I sometimes wake up early myself.
Tips
- Don't confuse reflexive and passive forms; reflexive is when the subject acts on itself.
- Causative forms can be used with many verbs, but not all verbs accept causative or reflexive endings.
- Some verbs change meaning when reflexive or causative forms are added.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs have irregular causative forms.
- A few verbs do not take reflexive or causative endings.
Word of the Day
Today's hand-picked vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation page for Turkish. Bookmark this section — it refreshes every day.
Get one new word every morning
Subscribe to SmartWords daily picks. Choose the topics you want — we send one short email per day.
Keep exploring
Play SmartWords games
Six word games built around our real vocabulary — free in the browser, no install.
Open the game hub →-
Word Sling
Match the center word under time pressure and keep the combo alive.
Play now → -
Word Gate
Fly through the correct gate before the speed ramps up.
Play now → -
Word Ninja
Slice the goal-language words, avoid the main-language decoy, and chase the announced bonus target.
Play now → -
Word Zip
Trace a single path across the board, hit each letter anchor in order, and fill every open cell.
Play now → -
Word Oddity
Pick the word that doesn't belong from a topic-driven set — every tap reveals all four meanings and images so the round becomes a flash-card too.
Play now → -
Word Memory
Flip and match goal-language words to their main-language meaning before your lives run out.
Play now →