Seni görmeyeli uzun zaman oldu.

to be

Breakdown of Seni görmeyeli uzun zaman oldu.

• sen: you
• uzun: long
• zaman: the time

Questions & Answers about Seni görmeyeli uzun zaman oldu.

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

It creates a time clause meaning “since doing X.” So görmeyeli means “since (I) haven’t seen.” The suffix follows vowel harmony: after a front vowel you get -eli, after a back vowel -alı.

Why is the verb negative in görmeyeli instead of something like göreli?

With repeatable actions (see, smoke, call), Turkish typically uses the negative before -eli/-alı to mean “since the last time I did it.” Hence:

• Seni görmeyeli = “since I last saw you / since I haven’t seen you.” For one-off events (marry, graduate), the positive is used:
• Evleneli üç yıl oldu. = “It’s been three years since I got married.”

Is seni göreli also possible?

You may see it, but in everyday speech seni görmeyeli is far more natural for this meaning. Using the negative signals “time since the last occurrence,” which fits best for things you do repeatedly. Also, göreli is an adjective meaning “relative,” so görmeyeli avoids ambiguity.

Why is seni in the accusative?

Because görmek (to see) is transitive and takes a direct object. Even though görmeyeli is a non-finite time clause, the verb inside it still governs its object in the accusative: seni (you-ACC). Compare:

• Onu görmeyeli… = “Since I haven’t seen him/her…”