Indirect commands (-mA)

Indirect Commands and Requests

When reporting a command, advice, or request in English, we use an infinitive phrase (e.g., "The doctor wanted me to get an injection").

In Turkish, you turn the requested action into a noun clause using the "short verbal noun" suffix -ma or -me. This embedded clause acts as the direct object of main verbs like istemek (to want) or önermek (to suggest).

Here is the formula for the embedded action:

• Verb stem + -ma / -me
  • possessive suffix + accusative case

The possessive suffix shows who is being asked to do the action. Because the entire phrase is the direct object of the main verb, it almost always ends with the accusative case suffix (-(y)ı / -(y)i / -(y)u / -(y)ü).

When using verbs like önermek (to suggest) or söylemek (to tell), the person receiving the advice takes the dative case (e.g., bana, "to me"), while the action itself still takes the accusative case.

Changing the Subject

Change the possessive suffix on the short verbal noun to match whoever is supposed to carry out the action.

If the embedded subject is third-person (he, she, it, they), remember to use the buffer letter n between the third-person possessive suffix (-sı / -si) and the accusative case marker (-nı / -ni).

Telling and Forbidding

This structure pairs seamlessly with other verbs of commanding and advising, such as söylemek (to tell) or yasaklamak (to forbid).

Negative Indirect Commands

If you need to report a command or request not to do something, add the standard negative suffix -ma or -me directly to the verb stem, right before the short verbal noun suffix.

This results in a doubled syllable (-mama or -meme), followed by the possessive and accusative suffixes just like before.