How can we use the suffixes “miş” and “mişti” in Turkish
How can we use the suffixes “miş” and “mişti” in Turkish
Explaining the Three Turkish Past Tenses with a Perfect Example
1. Dün çok hasta oldu.
(The Definite / Witnessed Past: -di-dı-dü-du)
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Core Meaning: This is a simple, factual statement about a past event. The speaker is certain because they witnessed it themselves, saw direct evidence, or state it as a known fact. There is no doubt.
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Why “-di” is used: It is used for firsthand knowledge. The speaker knows for sure that the person was sick yesterday. Maybe they were with them, saw them vomit, or are simply stating a confirmed piece of information.
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English Equivalent: Simple Past Tense. (“He got sick.” / “He was sick.”)
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Context: You are telling a friend what happened yesterday. You know it’s true.
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“Neden okula gelmedi? – Dün çok hasta oldu.” (Why didn’t he come to school? – He got very sick yesterday.)
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2. Dün çok hasta olmuş.
(The Inferential / Heard Past: -miş-muş-mış-müş)
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Core Meaning: This statement is based on secondhand information or a conclusion. The speaker did not witness the event themselves but heard about it from someone else, saw the resulting evidence, or just found out.
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Why “-miş” is used: It conveys that the knowledge is indirect. The “-miş” suffix often carries a sense of “apparently,” “I heard,” or “it seems.”
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English Equivalent: Often translated with phrases like “I heard he…”, “Apparently, he…”, or “It seems he…” Sometimes, the English Simple Past can be used, but the feeling of indirect knowledge is lost.
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Context: You see your friend looking pale today. Someone tells you the news. You see the empty medicine box on his table.
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“Bugün çok iyi görünmüyor. – Evet, dün çok hasta olmuş.” (He doesn’t look good today. – Yes, I heard he got very sick yesterday.)
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3. Dün çok hasta olmuştu.
(The Past Perfect / Pluperfect: -mişti-muştu-mıştı-müştü)
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Core Meaning: This tense is used to talk about an action that was already completed before another past event or time. It sets the background for another story in the past. The
-mişpart here often loses its “hearsay” meaning and simply helps to indicate that this action happened earlier. -
Why “-mişti” is used: It establishes a timeline in the past. It answers the question “What had already happened when…?”
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English Equivalent: Past Perfect Tense. (“He had gotten sick.”)
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The Important Note on Daily Turkish: While the technical translation is the Past Perfect (“had gotten sick”), in daily conversation, Turks often use
-miştiwhere English would use the Simple Past. This is a key point for learners.-
Technically Correct: “Dün çok hasta olmuştu, bu yüzden bugün de okula gelemedi.” (He had gotten sick yesterday, which is why he couldn’t come to school today either.)
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Common Daily Use: “Onu aradığımda dün çok hasta olmuştu.” (When I called him, I found out he was very sick yesterday.) <– Here, English uses Simple Past, but Turkish uses
-miştito emphasize the state he was already in when you called.
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Summary Table:
| Turkish Sentence | Core Meaning | Why It’s Used | Most Accurate English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dün çok hasta oldu. | He was sick. (I know it) | To state a certain, witnessed fact. | Simple Past: He got sick. |
| Dün çok hasta olmuş. | He was sick. (I heard/it seems) | To state indirect or learned information. | I heard he got sick. / Apparently, he was sick. |
| Dün çok hasta olmuştu. | He had been sick. (before X) | To describe an action completed before another past action. | Past Perfect Tense |
1. Örnek Tablo: Cümleler ve İngilizce Çevirileri
| Türkçe Cümle | İngilizce Çevirisi (Anlamına Göre) |
|---|---|
| O 5 sene önce Mardin’e gitti. | He/She went to Mardin 5 years ago. |
| O 5 sene önce Mardin’e gitmiş. | (I heard/learned that) he/she went to Mardin 5 years ago. |
| O 5 sene önce Mardin’e gitmişti. | He/She had gone to Mardin 5 years ago (before another past event). |
| Dün çok hasta oldu. | He/She got very sick yesterday. |
| Dün çok hasta olmuş. | (I see/heard that) he/she got very sick yesterday. |
| Dün çok hasta olmuştu. | He/She had gotten very sick yesterday (and was still sick when…). |
| Sabah erken kalktı. | He/She woke up early in the morning. |
| Sabah erken kalkmış. | (It seems/Apparently) he/she woke up early in the morning. |
| Sabah erken kalkmıştı. | He/She had woken up early in the morning (before something else). |
| Evini geçen yıl sattı. | He/She sold his/her house last year. |
| Evini geçen yıl satmış. | (I found out) he/she sold his/her house last year. |
| Evini geçen yıl satmıştı. | He/She had sold his/her house last year (before another past event). |
| Toplantıya zamanında geldi. | He/She came to the meeting on time. |
| Toplantıya zamanında gelmiş. | (I heard/saw that) he/she came to the meeting on time. |
| Toplantıya zamanında gelmişti. | He/She had come to the meeting on time (before it started). |
| Yemeğin hepsini bitirdi. | He/She finished all the food. |
| Yemeğin hepsini bitirmiş. | (Look!) He/She has finished all the food. / (I see) he/she finished it. |
| Yemeğin hepsini bitirmişti. | He/She had finished all the food (before we even arrived). |
| Bana doğruyu söyledi. | He/She told me the truth. |
| Bana doğruyu söylemiş. | (I found out later) he/she told me the truth. |
| Bana doğruyu söylemişti. | He/She had told me the truth (before I discovered the lie). |
| Çocukken piyano çaldı. | He/She played the piano as a child. |
| Çocukken piyano çalmış. | (I learned that) he/she played the piano as a child. |
| Çocukken piyano çalmıştı. | He/She had played the piano as a child (but stopped before adulthood). |
| Kapıyı kendi açtı. | He/She opened the door himself/herself. |
| Kapıyı kendi açmış. | (Can you believe it?) He/She opened the door himself/herself! |
| Kapıyı kendi açmıştı. | He/She had already opened the door himself/herself (by the time I tried to help). |
| Sorununu bir arkadaşına anlattı. | He/She told his/her problem to a friend. |
| Sorununu bir arkadaşına anlatmış. | (Apparently) he/she told his/her problem to a friend. |
| Sorununu bir arkadaşına anlatmıştı. | He/She had told his/her problem to a friend (before deciding to tell me). |
How can we use the suffixes “mis” and “misti” in Turkish
2. Örnek Tablo: Gramer Açıklamaları (İngilizce)
| Gramer Yapısı | Why It’s Used & Core Meaning | Example Explanation (From the table above) |
|---|---|---|
| -di (Seen/Simple Past) | Used for direct, firsthand knowledge. The speaker is certain because they witnessed the event or have firm evidence. It’s a neutral statement of fact. | “Dün çok hasta oldu.” -> I saw him/her being sick, or I am directly stating a known fact about yesterday. |
| -miş (Heard/Inferential Past) | Used for indirect, learned, or inferred knowledge. The speaker wasn’t a witness; they heard about it from someone else, deduced it from evidence, or just found out. Often expresses surprise or realization. | “Dün çok hasta olmuş.” -> I wasn’t there. I heard it from a friend, or I see now that he/she is better and deduce they were sick yesterday. |
| -mişti (Past Perfect / Pluperfect) | Used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past. It sets the background for another past event. The -miş suffix here often loses its “hearsay” meaning and simply indicates anteriority. |
“Dün çok hasta olmuştu.” -> This means he/she had gotten sick before some other past event we are talking about. (e.g., “…so he couldn’t come to the party last night.”). |
| Türkçe Cümle | İngilizce Çeviri | Zaman Türü |
|---|---|---|
| Ben dün en sevdiğim kitabı buldum. | I found my favorite book yesterday. | -di’li Geçmiş (Witnessed) |
| Sen ona gerçeği söylemişsin. | I heard you told him the truth. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| O, biz gelmeden önce çoktan gitmişti. | He had already left before we arrived. | -mişti’li Geçmiş (Past Perfect) |
| Biz çocukken aynı mahallede yaşamışız. | We lived in the same neighborhood as kids. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Siz bu konuda çok haklıymışsınız. | It turns out you were right about this. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Onlar yeni bir ev satın aldılar. | They bought a new house. | -di’li Geçmiş (Witnessed) |
| Ben o maçı televizyonda canlı izlemiştim. | I had watched that game live on TV. | -mişti’li Geçmiş (Past Perfect) |
| Sen bu yemeği daha önce de yapmışsın. | I see you have made this dish before. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| O, kimseye haber vermeden sessizce ayrıldı. | He left quietly without telling anyone. | -di’li Geçmiş (Witnessed) |
| Biz bu sabah erkenden koşmuşuz. | We must have run early this morning. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Siz daha hızlı yürümüşsünüz. | Looks like you walked faster. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Onlar bütün gece uyumamışlar. | Apparently they didn’t sleep all night. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Ben seni daha önce bir yerde görmüştüm. | I had seen you somewhere before. | -mişti’li Geçmiş (Past Perfect) |
| Sen ona inanılmaz bir hediye almışsın! | You bought him an amazing gift! | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| O, bütün sınavlardan yüksek not almış. | I heard she got high grades. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Biz aslında onu bekliyormuşuz. | It turns out we were waiting for him. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Siz bu şarkıyı çok güzel söylüyormuşsunuz. | I heard you sing this song beautifully. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Onlar yola çıkmadan önce ben onları aramıştım. | I had called them before they left. | -mişti’li Geçmiş (Past Perfect) |
| Ben hiç farkında olmadan onu üzmüşüm. | I must have upset him unknowingly. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |
| Sen çoktan kararını vermişsin. | I see you have already decided. | -miş’li Geçmiş (Inferential) |