Lesson2-Part3

How to use the word ” Değil=not” in Turkish.

1. Using “değil” with Adjectives:

• When negating an adjective, “değil” is placed after the adjective.
• Example:
  • Positive: “Bu kitap yeni.” → “This book is new.”
  • Negative: “Bu kitap yeni değil.” → “This book is not new.”
• In this case, “değil” is used to negate the adjective “yeni” (new).

2. Using “değil” with Nouns:

• When negating a noun, “değil” follows the noun, and the appropriate personal suffix is added to “değil” to match the subject.
• Example:
  • Positive: “Ben öğretmenim.” → “I am a teacher.”
  • Negative: “Ben öğretmen değilim.” → “I am not a teacher.”
• Here, “değil” is used to negate the noun “öğretmen” (teacher).

Summary:

• For adjectives, “değil” negates the adjective directly.
• For nouns, “değil” negates the noun, and the sentence structure requires a personal suffix on “değil” to match the subject.

More Examples:

• Adjective:
  • Positive: “O mutlu.” → “He/She is happy.”
  • Negative: “O mutlu değil.” → “He/She is not happy.”
• Noun:
  • Positive: “Sen öğrencisin.” → “You are a student.”
  • Negative: “Sen öğrenci değilsin.” → “You are not a student.”

This structure makes “değil” a versatile word for forming negative sentences with both adjectives and nouns in Turkish.

Why did we add the suffixes ”im” and ”sin” after the word not?

In Turkish, the suffixes “-sin” and “-im” (and their variants) are personal suffixes that match the subject of the sentence. These suffixes indicate who the subject of the sentence is and are necessary when “değil” is used to negate a noun or adjective.

Why Suffixes Like “-sin” and “-im” Are Added After “Değil”:

1. Personal Agreement:
   • In Turkish, verbs, and also the negation word “değil,” must agree with the subject in terms of person (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person) and number (singular or plural).
   • The suffixes “-sin,” “-im,” “-iz,” etc., are attached to “değil” to reflect this agreement.
2. Matching the Subject:
   • “-im”: This suffix is used for the first person singular (I).
     • Example: “Ben öğretmen değilim.” → “I am not a teacher.”
   • “-sin”: This suffix is used for the second person singular (you).
     • Example: “Sen öğretmen değilsin.” → “You are not a teacher.”
3. Sentence Structure:
   • In Turkish, when a sentence with a noun or adjective is negated using “değil,” the personal suffix that would normally be on the verb (if there were one) is transferred to “değil.”
   • Example with a verb: “Sen öğretmensin.” → “You are a teacher.”
   • Example with “değil”: “Sen öğretmen değilsin.” → “You are not a teacher.”

Summary:

• “Değil” + personal suffix: The suffixes ensure the sentence is grammatically correct by showing who is being talked about.
• “-im” and “-sin” indicate the subject (I or you) and are necessary because “değil” functions similarly to a verb in these sentences, needing to agree with the subject.