Lesson5AA(part1). The use of the suffix for ‘when’ (dığımda) in Turkish
The use of the suffix for ‘when’ (dığımda) in Turkish
In Turkish, verbs take the suffixes like -diğimde, -tiğimde to express “when something happens.” The suffix changes based on:
Vowel harmony: Whether the last vowel in the verb root is front or back.
Consonant harmony: Whether the final consonant is hard or soft.
The consonant d in the suffix can change to t if the verb ends with a hard consonant (p, ç, t, k), following consonant devoicing rules.
Git (Go)
Gittiğimde
When I went
Explanation: The verb git ends with the hard consonant t, requiring the suffix -tiğimde. The last vowel in git is i, a front vowel, so the suffix also contains a front vowel i.
Gör (See)
Gördüğümde
When I saw
Explanation: The verb gör ends with the soft consonant r, requiring the voiced suffix -düğümde. The last vowel in gör is ö, a front vowel, so the suffix contains the front rounded vowel ü.
Başla (Start)
Başladığımda
When I started
Explanation: The verb başla ends with the soft consonant ş and has a back vowel a, so we use the voiced suffix -dığımda.
Oku (Read)
Okuduğumda
When I read
Explanation: The verb oku ends with the soft consonant k and has a back vowel u, so we use the suffix -duğumda.
Gel (Come)
Geldiğimde
When I came
Explanation: The verb gel ends with a soft consonant l and has a front vowel e, so we use the suffix -diğimde.
Sev (Love)
Sevdiğimde
When I loved
Explanation: The verb sev ends with a soft consonant v and has a front vowel e, so we use the suffix -diğimde.
Bitir (Finish)
Bitirdiğimde
When I finished
Explanation: The verb bitir ends with the soft consonant r and has a front vowel i, so we use the suffix -diğimde.
Uyu (Sleep)
Uyuduğumda
When I slept
Explanation: The verb uyu ends with a soft consonant y and has a back vowel u, so we use the suffix -duğumda.
İç (Drink)
İçtiğimde
When I drank
Explanation: The verb iç ends with a hard consonant ç, requiring the suffix -tiğimde. The last vowel in iç is i, a front vowel, so the suffix contains the front vowel i.
Öp (Kiss)
Öptüğümde
When I kissed
Explanation: The verb öp ends with a hard consonant p, requiring the suffix -tüğümde. The last vowel in öp is ö, a front vowel, so the suffix contains the front vowel ü.
Additional Information on Vowel Harmony
In Turkish, the vowel in the suffix follows the vowel harmony rule:
- Front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) cause the suffix vowel to be i or ü.
- Back vowels (a, ı, o, u) cause the suffix vowel to be ı or u.
This rule ensures smooth pronunciation and phonological consistency in Turkish.
Final Summary Table:
| Verb Root | Suffix | Example in Turkish | Translation in English | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git | -tiğimde | Gittiğimde | When I went | Git ends with hard consonant t, last vowel is i (front), so use -tiğimde. |
| Gör | -düğümde | Gördüğümde | When I saw | Gör ends with soft consonant r, last vowel is ö (front), so use -düğümde. |
| Başla | -dığımda | Başladığımda | When I started | Başla last vowel is a (back), so use -dığımda. |
| Oku | -duğumda | Okuduğumda | When I read | Oku last vowel is u (back), so use -duğumda. |
| Gel | -diğimde | Geldiğimde | When I came | Gel ends with soft consonant l, last vowel is e (front), so use -diğimde. |
| Sev | -diğimde | Sevdiğimde | When I loved | Sev ends with soft consonant v, last vowel is e (front), so use -diğimde. |
| Bitir | -diğimde | Bitirdiğimde | When I finished | Bitir ends with soft consonant r, last vowel is i (front), so use -diğimde. |
| Uyu | -duğumda | Uyuduğumda | When I slept | Uyu last vowel is u (back), so use -duğumda. |
| İç | -tiğimde | İçtiğimde | When I drank | İç ends with hard consonant ç, last vowel is i (front), so use -tiğimde. |
| Öp | -tüğümde | Öptüğümde | When I kissed | Öp ends with hard consonant p, last vowel is ö (front), so use -tüğümde. |
“Why do we sometimes use the suffix ‘diğimde’ and sometimes ‘tiğimde’? Why do we sometimes use the suffix ‘duğumda’ and sometimes ‘tuğumda’? Why do we sometimes use the suffix ‘düğümde’ and sometimes ‘tüğümde’?”
In Turkish, the consonants f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p are considered hard consonants. When a verb root ends with one of these hard consonants, the voiced consonant “d” in suffixes like -diğimde or -düğümde changes to the voiceless consonant “t”. This is because in Turkish, consonant harmony requires that the suffix match the hardness of the last consonant in the root. This process is called consonant devoicing.
Let’s explain why this happens for verbs like iç, git, and öp:
İç (Drink)
İçtiğimde
“When I drank”
Explanation:
The verb root iç ends with the hard consonant ç. In Turkish, the voiced consonant d cannot follow a hard consonant like ç. Therefore, the d in -diğimde is devoiced and becomes t, resulting in -tiğimde. Since the last vowel in iç is a front vowel i, the suffix also contains the front vowel i: içtiğimde.
Git (Go)
Gittiğimde
“When I went”
Explanation:
The verb root git ends with the hard consonant t. As in the case of iç, the voiced consonant d cannot follow a hard consonant like t. Therefore, the d in -diğimde is devoiced and becomes t, resulting in -tiğimde. The last vowel in git is a front vowel i, so the suffix contains the front vowel i: gittiğimde.
Öp (Kiss)
Öptüğümde
“When I kissed”
Explanation:
The verb root öp ends with the hard consonant p. Since p is a hard consonant, the voiced d in the suffix -düğümde changes to t to maintain consonant harmony. Additionally, the last vowel in öp is the front rounded vowel ö, so the suffix contains the front rounded vowel ü: öptüğümde.
General Rule for Hard Consonants:
When a verb root ends with one of the hard consonants (f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p), the “d” in the suffix becomes “t” to align with the hardness of the final consonant in the root. This ensures smooth and harmonious pronunciation in Turkish.