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### The Approximative Verb (-eyazmak)

To describe an action that came incredibly close to happening but ultimately didn't, Turkish uses a special compound verb structure. It is perfect for talking about close calls, sudden accidents, and near-disasters.

**Verb Root + `-(y)Ayazmak`**

Apply two-way vowel harmony to choose between `-ayazmak` and `-eyazmak`, and use the buffer `y` if the verb root ends in a vowel. Because the "close call" was averted in the past, these verbs are almost always conjugated in the definite past tense (`-DI`).

For example, with `düşmek` (to fall) and a first-person subject:
`düş` + `eyaz` + `dım` ➔ **düşeyazdım** (I almost fell)

With `çarpmak` (to hit) and a third-person subject:
`çarp` + `ayaz` + `dı` ➔ **çarpayazdı** (He/it almost hit)

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### Accidents and Near-Misses

This structure is extremely common when describing sudden slips, swerving vehicles, or narrowly avoided traffic accidents.

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### Dropping and Breaking Things

Another classic use for this form is when you clumsily bump into something or almost drop a fragile object out of sheer surprise.

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### Extreme Reactions

You will also frequently hear native speakers use this structure to playfully exaggerate dramatic physical reactions, like almost fainting from shock or nearly dying of fright.

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Almost happening (-eyazmak)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

postposition

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstrative pronouns (bu, şu, o)

Basic question words (kim, ne)

Plural nouns (-lar, -ler)

I am and you are (-(y)ım, -sın)

We, you, and they are (-(y)ız, -sınız)

Negative statements (değil)

Yes and no questions (mı, mi, mu, mü)

Questions with 'to be' (mısın, mıyım)

Numbers 1 to 10 (bir, iki, üç)

Numbers 11 to 20 (on bir, on iki)

Numbers by tens to 100 (otuz, kırk...)

Counting objects (tane)

The locative case (-da, -de)

Consonant assimilation (-ta, -te)

Asking where (nerede)

There is / there are (var)

There is not / there are not (yok)

Asking how many (kaç)

Infinitive verbs (-mak, -mek)

Informal commands (git, gel)

Negative commands (-ma, -me)

Polite and plural commands (-In, -InIz)

Basic word order

Present continuous for consonant roots (-iyor)

Present continuous for vowel roots (-iyor)

Present continuous personal suffixes (-iyorum)

Negative present continuous (-miyor)

Present continuous questions (-iyor mu)

Future plans with present continuous

The dative case (-(y)a, -(y)e)

Consonant mutation (k, t, p, ç to ğ, d, b, c)

From or out of (-dan / -den)

Directional question words (nereye, nereden)

First and second person possessives (-(i)m, -(i)n)

Third person possessive (-(s)i)

Plural possessives (-imiz, -iniz, -leri)

The genitive case (-(n)in)

Definite noun compounds (-nin ... -si)

Indefinite noun compounds (bare noun + -(s)i)

Possessive buffer letter (n)

Spatial postpositions (içinde, üstünde)

The definite direct object (-(y)ı, -(y)i)

Object question words (kimi, neyi)

Adjectives modifying nouns

Manner and choice questions (nasıl, hangi)

Basic degree modifiers (çok, biraz)

Comparisons (daha, en)

Days of the week

Months of the year

The time question word (ne zaman)

Telling time (saat, buçuk)

Asking the time (saat kaç, saat kaçta)

Basic conjunctions (ve, ama, veya)

Causality conjunction (çünkü)

Means and accompaniment (ile, -(y)lA)

Purpose and beneficiaries (için)

Expressing desire (-mak istemek)

The past copula (-(y)DI)

The direct past tense (-DI)

Past tense personal suffixes (-DIm, -DIn)

Past tense negative (-mAdI)

Past tense questions (-DI mI)

Ordinal numbers (-(I)ncI)

Greetings and politeness

Saying 'too' (de, da)

Conversation fillers (şey, yani, hadi)

Conversational essentials

Reflexive pronouns (kendim, kendin)

Reciprocal pronouns (birbiri)

Indefinite pronouns for people (herkes, kimse)

Indefinite pronouns for things and places (her şey, hiçbir şey)

Conjunctions of consequence (bu yüzden, bu nedenle)

Correlative conjunctions (hem... hem, ne... ne)

Verbs taking the dative case (-e / -a)

Verbs taking the ablative case (-den / -dan)

Time origin (beri)

Time duration (-DIr)

Comparisons of similarity (gibi)

Comparisons of equality (kadar)

Perspectives (göre)

Verbal nouns (-mA / -mE)

Verbal nouns as objects (-mAyI / -mEyI)

Verbal nouns with the dative (-mAyA / -mEyA)

General necessity (lazım / gerek)

Personal necessity (-mAm lazım)

Third-person commands (-sIn / -sInlAr)

First person singular optative (-(y)AyIm)

Question	Answer
to stumble / to trip	tökezlemek
I stumbled on the street and almost fell.	Sokakta tökezledim ve düşeyazdım.
pole (post, pillar)	direk
The man suddenly slipped and almost hit the pole.	Adam aniden kayıverdi ve direğe çarpayazdı.
to swerve / to be tossed	savrulmak
The car swerved and almost crashed into the pole.	Araba savruldu ve direğe çarpayazdı.
embankment / ditch	şarampol
to roll / to tumble	yuvarlanmak
The car swerved and we almost rolled into the ditch.	Araba savruldu ve şarampole yuvarlanayazdık.
fragile	kırılgan
to knock over	devirmek
I almost knocked over his fragile vase.	Onun kırılgan vazosunu devireyazdım.
astonishment / bewilderment	şaşkınlık
Out of astonishment, the woman almost dropped the fragile glass.	Kadın şaşkınlıktan kırılgan bardağı düşüreyazdı.
We looked at each other in astonishment and almost fainted.	Şaşkınlıkla birbirimize baktık ve bayılayazdık.
to stagger	sendelemek
The old man staggered and almost knocked over the table.	Yaşlı adam sendeledi ve masayı devireyazdı.
The worker who staggered almost fell into the ditch.	Sendeleyen işçi şarampole düşeyazdı.
to get injured (wounded)	yaralanmak
As long as we drive carefully, we won't get injured in an accident.	Dikkatli sürdüğümüz sürece kazada yaralanmayız.
He didn't get injured in the accident, but he almost died.	Kazada yaralanmadı ama öleyazdı.
The young woman stumbled and almost dropped the plate.	Genç kadın tökezledi ve tabağı düşüreyazdı.
The ball rolled down the stairs and almost broke the vase.	Top merdivenden aşağı yuvarlandı ve vazoyu kırayazdı.