Turkish Conditional Mood (-se / -sa): Expressing “If” & Wishes
How Turkish Expresses “If” (Şart Kipi)
In Turkish, conditional sentences are formed by adding the suffix -se / -sa to the verb.
While the Persian loanword eğer (if) can be placed at the start of the sentence for emphasis, the suffix -se/-sa on the verb is what actually creates the condition:
Eğer gelirsen, sevinirim.= If you come, I will be happy.Gelirsen sevinirim.= (Same meaning, without ‘eğer’).
1. Real Present / Future Conditions (Geniş Zaman + -se/-sa)
When stating a realistic condition (“If X happens, Y will happen”):
- [Verb Stem] + [Aorist -r] + [-se / -sa] + [Person]
| Turkish Clause | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yağmur yağarsa… | If it rains… |
| Zamanın olursa… | If you have time… |
| Erken kalkarsak… | If we wake up early… |
| Bana yardım edersen… | If you help me… |
2. Expressing Wishes & Regrets: Keşke (“If only / I wish”)
When -se / -sa is combined with the word keşke, it expresses deep wishes or regrets:
- Keşke burada olsan! = I wish you were here! / If only you were here!
- Keşke daha çok param olsa. = If only I had more money.
- Keşke dün gelseydin. = I wish you had come yesterday (unreal past).
