Expressing Eventual Chance: "Olur da"
When you want to express a remote possibility—like saying "if by any chance," "should it happen that," or "just in case"—Turkish uses the phrase olur da followed by a verb in the conditional.
The conditional verb typically uses the aorist (simple present) tense before the conditional suffix (e.g., gecikir-se, kopar-sa). This structure is perfect for discussing contingency plans and taking precautions against unlikely events.
| If by any chance tomorrow's meeting is delayed, let me take a book with me. | Olur da yarınki toplantı gecikirse yanıma bir kitap alayım. |
| If by any chance the connection drops, let me buy a portable device to use offline. | Olur da bağlantı koparsa çevrimdışı kullanmak için taşınabilir cihaz alayım. |
| If by any chance we have an accident, does this insurance cover all the expenses? | Olur da kaza yaparsak, bu sigorta tüm masrafları kapsar mı? |
The verb following olur da can also be negative to mean "if by chance [something] doesn't happen."
| If by chance there is no access to the internet, we will work offline. | Olur da internete erişim olmazsa, çevrimdışı çalışırız. |
Supposing and Assuming Scenarios
To set up purely hypothetical situations, especially when emphasizing the need to plan for emergencies, you can use phrasing like diyelim ki (let's say / suppose that) and farz et ki (assume / suppose that).
Unlike olur da, which requires a conditional verb, these phrases are often followed by a verb in the definite past tense. This frames the imaginary scenario as an established fact for the sake of argument (e.g., "suppose that you lost your passport").
| Suppose that you had your passport stolen on holiday, you have to be cautious. | Diyelim ki tatilde pasaportunu çaldırdın, temkinli olmak zorundasın. |
| Suppose that a fire broke out in the house, does the insurance cover the damage? | Farz et ki evde yangın çıktı, sigorta zararı kapsar mı? |
Discussing Precautions
You will frequently see these hypothetical structures used alongside vocabulary related to safety, backup copies, and insurance to emphasize being cautious (temkinli).
| cautious | temkinli |
| If by any chance you have your original passport stolen, keep this spare copy in a safe place. | Olur da asıl pasaportunu çaldırırsan, bu yedek nüshayı güvenli bir yerde muhafaza et. |
| Yesterday's storm was very severe; if by any chance our roof flies off, which insurance covers this? | Dünkü fırtına çok şiddetliydi, olur da çatımız uçarsa bunu hangi sigorta kapsar? |