Görüşmeyeli epey zaman oldu.

It’s been quite a while since we met.

Breakdown of Görüşmeyeli epey zaman oldu.

• olmak: to be
• zaman: the time
• görüşmek: to meet
• -eli/-alı: since
• epey: quite

Questions & Answers about Görüşmeyeli epey zaman oldu.

What does the ending -eli/-alı mean here?

• -(y)eli / -(y)alı attached to a verb means “since (doing/not doing) …”.
• It marks the starting point of a period that continues up to now.
• It’s typically paired with verbs like olmak or geçmek to say how much time has passed: e.g., Görüşmeyeli epey zaman oldu = “It’s been quite a while (since we haven’t met).”

Why is it negative (görüşmeyeli) instead of görüşeli?

• Both exist:
  • Görüşeli = “since we met (last time)”
  • Görüşmeyeli = “since we stopped meeting / since we haven’t been meeting”
• The negative form emphasizes that the action has not occurred during the whole period. It highlights the ongoing lack of meetings.
• In everyday speech, görüşeli and görüşmeyeli often overlap in meaning; görüşmeyeli slightly stresses the absence more.

Does this sentence imply we still haven’t met as of now?

• Yes. With -eli/-alı, the default reading is that the situation has continued up to the reference point (here: now).
• Görüşmeyeli implies “we still haven’t met in all that time.”

How is görüşmeyeli built morphologically? What’s the -y-?

• görüş- (meet) + -me- (negation) + -y- (buffer) + -eli (“since”) → görüşmeyeli
• The -y- is just a buffer consonant to prevent two vowels from clashing (from -me
  • -eli).

Why is it -eli, not -alı?

• -eli/-alı follows 2-way vowel harmony:
  • After front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) → -eli
  • After back vowels (a, ı, o, u) → -alı
• Görüş- has front vowels (ö, ü), so you get -eli: görüş- → görüşeli/görüşmeyeli.

What is oldu doing here? Why past tense?

• oldu (past of olmak) in this pattern idiomatically means “it has been.”
• You’re stating how much time has passed up to now. Turkish uses the simple past (oldu) for this kind of completed measurement of elapsed time.

Could I say oluyor, olmuş, or olmuştu instead of oldu?

• oluyor: can occur, sounding like “it’s (now) amounting to …,” but oldu is more standard for a neutral statement.
• olmuş: “apparently/it turns out it’s been …” (reportative/surprised tone).
• olmuştu: “it had been …” at some past reference time (narrative past perfect).

Is zaman necessary? Could I use süre, or omit it?

• You can omit it: Görüşmeyeli epey oldu.
• You can use synonyms: epey zaman/süre/vakit oldu.
• With some adverbs, speakers often drop the noun: Görüşmeyeli çok/uzun/epey oldu.

What does epey mean, and how strong is it? Any synonyms?

• epey ≈ “quite a bit/quite a long (time).”
• Close synonyms: hayli, oldukça, epeyce, epey bir, and colloquially bayağı (note: bayağı can also mean “vulgar/plain” in other contexts).
• çok is stronger/more general (“a lot/very”): Görüşmeyeli çok oldu.

How can I make it explicit who hasn’t met whom?

• By adding a “with” phrase:
  • Seninle görüşmeyeli epey zaman oldu. = “It’s been quite a while since I/we last met with you.”
  • Ahmet’le/Onunla görüşmeyeli … = “since (I/we) last met Ahmet/him/her.”
• Without an object, görüşmek typically implies “meet each other” and in conversation often defaults to “you and I.”

How do I ask “How long has it been since we met?”

• Görüşmeyeli ne kadar (zaman) oldu?
• Görüşeli kaç gün/ay/yıl oldu?
• More neutral alternatives:
  • Epeydir/Uzun zamandır görüşmüyoruz, değil mi?
  • En son ne zaman görüştük?

Can I move the parts around?

• Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:
  • Görüşmeyeli epey zaman oldu. (neutral)
  • Epey zaman oldu görüşmeyeli. (puts focus on “a long time has passed” first)
• Both are natural in speech.

What’s the difference between this and using -den beri (“since”)?

• -den beri attaches to a noun phrase or a verbal clause (with -DIK) and doesn’t need oldu:
  • Görüştüğümüzden beri mutluyum. = “I’ve been happy since we met.”
• -(y)eli/-alı is a converb; it usually pairs with oldu/geçti to measure elapsed time:
  • Görüşeli üç yıl oldu.
• Negative with -den beri is uncommon and can sound odd: prefer positive with -den beri (e.g., görüştüğümüzden beri), or use görüşmeyeli … oldu for the “haven’t done X since” idea.

Can I use geçti instead of oldu?

• Yes:
  • Görüşmeyeli epey zaman geçti. = “Quite a bit of time has passed since we last met.”
• geçti emphasizes the passage of time; oldu is the most neutral/idiomatic choice.

How is this pronounced? Where is the stress?

• Rough guide to stress (primary stress capitalized):
  • gö-RÜŞ-me-ye-Lİ | e-PEY | za-MAN | ol-DU
• Tips:
  • ö like German “ö”; ş = “sh”; ey like “ay” in “say.”
  • Turkish generally stresses the last syllable of words, with some lexical exceptions; the pattern above is natural for this sentence.

What are common mistakes to avoid with this pattern?

• Writing it as two words: not görüşme yeli, but görüşmeyeli.
• Saying var: not Görüşmeyeli epey zaman var, but … epey zaman oldu/ geçti.
• Doubling “since”: avoid görüşmeyeliden beri. (You can say görüştüğümüzden beri, or just görüşmeyeli … oldu.)
• Using the wrong harmony: use -eli after front vowels, -alı after back vowels.

Can I use this for third persons or mark the subject?

• Yes:
  • Onlar taşınalı iki yıl oldu. = “It’s been two years since they moved.”
  • Onunla görüşmeyeli uzun zaman oldu. = “It’s been a long time since (I/we) met with him/her.”
• You may see optional genitive subjects, especially in careful/formal style:
  • Benim İstanbul’a geleli üç yıl oldu. (Often just: İstanbul’a geleli üç yıl oldu.)