When you hear an unbelievable myth or superstition, you may want to express strong disbelief. To state that a past action was completely impossible—meaning someone "cannot have" done it—Turkish pairs the evidential past suffix -mIş with the negative auxiliary olamaz.
Formula: Verb Stem + -mIş / -miş / -muş / -müş + olamaz
| Nobody can have believed this absurd superstition. | Kimse bu saçma hurafeye inanmış olamaz. |
| Aliens cannot have built the pyramids. | Piramitleri uzaylılar inşa etmiş olamaz. |
The Positive Counterpart: -mIş olabilir
If you suspect something "might have" happened—such as a rational explanation for a hoax—swap the negative olamaz for the positive olabilir.
| They might have fabricated this hoax. | Onlar bu kandırmacayı uydurmuş olabilir. |
| A rational theory might have debunked this legend. | Akılcı bir teori bu efsaneyi çürütmüş olabilir. |
Debunking Myths
The -mIş olamaz structure is perfectly suited for debunking claims of the supernatural or declaring rumors to be complete nonsense.
| He cannot have seen that supernatural creature with his own eyes. | O doğaüstü yaratığı kendi gözüyle görmüş olamaz. |
| They can't all have fabricated this illusion on purpose. | Hepsi bilerek bu yanılsamayı uydurmuş olamaz. |
| That mysterious monster cannot have lived in this lake; this is just a rumor. | O gizemli canavar bu gölde yaşamış olamaz; bu sadece bir rivayet. |
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