Lesson 10

10.1 MUST / HAVE TO

There are THREE options in Turkish for expressing “must” or “have to,” the necessitative form.

10.1.1 The suffix “-meli / -malı”

The suffix -meli / -malı follows simple vowel harmony.

Examples:
gitmeliyim = I have to go
gitmelisin = you have to go
gitmeli = he / she / it has to go
gitmeliyiz = we have to go
gitmelisiniz = you [plural] / you [formal] have to go
gitmeliler = they have to go

This necessitative form can also be put into the two past tense forms you know (the examples above are in present tense). Keep in mind that a y is inserted in this case:

-di past / –miş past:

gitmeliydim = I had to go / gitmeliymişim = I (reportedly) had to go
gitmeliydin / gitmeliymişsin
gitmeliydi / gitmeliymiş
gitmeliydik / gitmeliymişiz
gitmeliydiniz / gitmeliymişsiniz
gitmeliydiler / gitmeliymişler

10.1.2 Negating “-meli / -malı”

To negate -meli / -malı, a -me / -ma (simple vowel harmony) is inserted beforehand.

Examples:

gitmemeliyim = I don’t have to go
gitmemelisin = you don’t have to go
gitmemeli = he / she / it doesn’t have to go
gitmemeliyiz = we don’t have to go
gitmemeliyiniz = you [plural] / you [formal] don’t have to go
gitmemeliler = they don’t have to go

In this context, -memeli / -mamalı can also be used to mean “shouldn’t.”

Examples:

Bugün eve kalmamalısın. = You shouldn’t stay home today.
Yarın çalışmamalıyım. = I shouldn’t work tomorrow.

10.1.3 “Lazım”

Lazım actually means “required” and is an unchangeable word in a combination that expresses a necessity. The suffix -me / -ma (simple vowel harmony) and a possessive suffix are added to the verb stem as well. You’re already familiar with -me / -ma as a negation particle. Here, however, it has a different function.

Examples:

Gitmem lazım. = I have to go. or literally: My going is required.

The other forms:

Gitmen lazım. = You have to go.
Gitmesi lazım. = He / she / it has to go.
Gitmemiz lazım. = We have to go.
Gitmeniz lazım. = You [plural] / you [formal] have to go.
Gitmeleri lazım. = They have to go.

Another example:

Bunu yapmam lazım. = I have to do this.
Bunu yapman lazım. = You have to do this.
Bunu yapma lazım. = He / she / it has to do this.
Bunu yapmamız lazım. = We have to do this.
Bunu yapmanız lazım. = You [plural] / you [formal] have to do this.
Bunu yapmaları lazım. = They have to do this.

10.1.4 Negating “lazım”

Negation is very simple. Because lazım itself is unchangeable, another word has to be added to negate it – specifically, değil. In this case, the negated necessity looks like this:

Gitmem lazım değil. = I don’t have to go.
Bunu yapmam lazım değil. = I don’t have to do this.

10.1.5 “Gerekmek”

The third option for expressing a necessity is to use the verb gerekmek, which is directly translated as “to need.” In this case, too, the suffix -me / -ma and a possessive suffix are added to the verb stem.

Examples:

Gitmem gerekiyor. = I have to go.
Gitmen gerekiyor. = You have to go.
Gitmesi gerekiyor. = He / she / it has to go.
Gitmemiz gerekiyor. = We have to go.
Gitmeniz gerekiyor. = You [plural] / you [formal] have to go.
Gitmeleri gerekiyor. = They have to go.

In this example, gerekmek was used in the (i)yor present. Gerekmek is always in the third person singular since it refers to the “thing to be done” and not the “doer.” The combination is possible with the other tenses as well.

The examples:

PAST: Dün akşam eve gitmem gerekti. = I had to go home yesterday evening.
FUTURE: Yarın havalimanına gitmem gerekecek. = I will have to go to the airport tomorrow.
-İR PRESENT: Her gün okula gitmem gerek. = I have to go to school every day.

Oops, where did the -ir suffix go? It isn’t necessary here. The verb stem is enough to express a generally true necessity in the -ir present.

Generally speaking, in colloquial situations, the tense suffixes can be removed in the other two examples as well. The words dün and yarın already express when the action takes place.

10.1.6 Negating “gerekmek”

Gerekmek is negated with an additional -m(e). In the infinitive, this makes it gerekmemek.

The examples:

Gitmesi gerekmiyor. = He / she / it doesn’t have to go.
Dün eve gitmem gerekmedi. = I didn’t have to go home yesterday.
Yarın havalimanına gitmen gerekmeyecek. = You don’t have to drive to the airport tomorrow.

10.2 “LET’S” / “SHALL WE …?” – THE OPTATIVE

When you would like to suggest a certain activity in Turkish, you use the optative. No, that’s not a seventh case, though the name almost makes it sound like one. You use the optative with the suffix -(e)yim / -(e)lim. This suffix is used for the first person singular and plural. Furthermore, the suffix follows simple vowel harmony.

First person singular:

If the last vowel of the verb stem is an a, ı, o, or u, the suffix is -(a)yım.
If the last vowel of the verb stem is an e, i, ö, or ü, the suffix is -(e)yim.

First person plural:

If the last vowel of the verb stem is an a, ı, o, or u, the suffix is -(a)lım.
If the last vowel of the verb stem is an e, i, ö, or ü, the suffix is -(e)lim.

The e / a in parentheses is only used when the verb stem ends with a consonant.

Examples:

Ona sorayım. = Let me ask him / her.

Or as a yes-or-no question with the question particle mi:

Ona sorayım mı? = Shall I ask him / her?
Hadi, gidelim. = Come on, let’s go.
Gidelim mi? = Shall we go?

Vocabulary for Lesson 10:
büro = office; değil = not (to be); dinlemek = to listen; dün = yesterday; gerekmek = to need; havalimanı (or havaalanı) = airport; İspanya = Spain; lazım = necessary, required; liman = (sea)port; sormak = to ask; tamirhane = garage (workshop); tamir etmek = to repair; yarın = tomorrow