Turkish grammar Past Tense – Part II

Merhaba everybody,

Today’s lesson is Past Tense. I hear people screaming “we had that lesson before”. Yeah i know i know. But what you don’t know is actually there is 2 types of past tense in Turkish language. One with the -di suffix and -miş suffix. You previously learned the -di past tense. That one is most common in daily language.

The difference between -di and -miş past tenses is easy. If you lived the event, or see with your own eyes, with your own senses it is done with -di suffix, if you didnt see , didnt hear -miş is used. -miş tense is used in Stories and tales.

Let’s see how to form past tense in Turkish language :

Doğmak : to born, (sun rising)

Doğ+muş+um.

Doğ+muş+sun.

Doğ+muş

Doğ+muş+uz

Doğ+muş+sunuz

Doğ+muş+lar

Güneş doğmuş ama ben görmedim. Uyuyordum.  — Sun was risen up but i didnt see. I was sleeping.  (Didnt see the sun rise so -miş is used)

Güneşini doğuşunu izledim.  — I watched the sun rise. (I watched the sun rise with my own eyes so -di is used)

Güneşin doğuşunu izlemiş – He watched the rise of the sun ( He watched the rise of the sun but i didnt see him watching)

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