Turkish Imperative & Optative Moods: Commands, Invitations (Gidelim, Yapalım)
1. The Imperative (Emir Kipi) — Giving Commands
The base verb root is already the 2nd person singular informal command:
Gel!= Come!Git!= Go!Dur!= Stop!Bak!= Look!
Polite / Formal Commands (-in / -iniz):
To make commands polite (used with strangers, signage, or elders):
Gelin!/Geliniz!= Please come.Lütfen bekleyin.= Please wait.Giriş yapınız.= Please log in / enter.
2. The Optative / Suggestion (İstek Kipi) — “Let’s do it!”
For 1st person plural (Biz), the suffix is -(y)elim / -(y)alım:
git-→ Gidelim! = Let’s go!yap-→ Yapalım! = Let’s do it!konuş-→ Konuşalım. = Let’s talk.kahve iç-→ Kahve içelim mi? = Shall we drink coffee?
Official TurkLogic Curriculum Reference Note
The Imperative Mood (Emir Kipi) is used to give commands, orders, or make strong requests.
Formation:
- 2nd Person Singular (Sen - You, informal): Use the bare verb stem. Example: gel! (Come!), yap! (Do!) Negative: Verb Stem + -me/-ma. Example: gelme! (Don’t come!)
- 2nd Person Plural/Formal (Siz - You): Verb Stem + -in / -ın / -un / -ün (or -yiniz/-yınız/-yunuz/-yünüz after vowel stems for extra politeness, often shortened to -yin/-yın/-yun/-yün). Example: gelin! (Come!), yapın! (Do!) Negative: Verb Stem + -me/-ma + -yin/-yın. Example: gelmeyin! (Don’t come!)
- 3rd Person Singular (O - He/She/It): Verb Stem + -sin / -sın / -sun / -sün. Example: gelsin! (Let him/her come!), yapsın! (Let him/her do!) Negative: Verb Stem + -me/-ma + -sin/-sın. Example: gelmesin! (Let him/her not come!)
- 3rd Person Plural (Onlar - They): Verb Stem + -sinler / -sınlar / -sunler / -sünler. Example: gelsinler! (Let them come!), yapsınlar! (Let them do!) Negative: Verb Stem + -me/-ma + -sinler/-sınlar. Example: gelmesinler! (Let them not come!)
There is no 1st person imperative form in Turkish; the Optative mood is used instead for “let me/us…”
