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### Expressing Past Regrets with `Keşke`

In a previous lesson, you saw the past conditional `-(y)saydı` used to describe hypothetical events ("If X had happened..."). By using this same verb form with the word `keşke` ("I wish" or "if only"), you can express regret about past decisions—like what you studied or the career path you took.

To build a positive regret ("I wish I had..."), follow this structure:
- `Keşke` + Verb stem + `-sa` / `-se` + `-ydı` / `-ydi` + Personal ending

For example, with *okumak* (to read/study) and the "I" personal ending (`-m`), you get *okusaydım* (I wish I had studied).

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### Negative Regrets

If you are reflecting on a choice and want to say "I wish I *had not* done that," simply insert the negative marker (`-ma` / `-me`) immediately after the verb stem, right before the conditional suffix.

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### Wishing You Had Something (`Olsaydı`)

Sometimes you do not regret an action, but rather a circumstance or a lack of something—like wishing you had possessed a specific skill or trait. To say "I wish I had [something]," combine the item you wanted with the possessive structure and `olsaydı` (the conditional past of *olmak*, to be / to become).

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Past regrets (keşke ... -(y)saydı)

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
medicine (field of study)	tıp
I wish I had studied medicine at university.	Keşke üniversitede tıp okusaydım.
skill	beceri
Medicine is very difficult, I wish I had learned a different skill.	Tıp çok zor, keşke farklı bir beceri öğrenseydim.
regretful	pişman
commerce	ticaret
law (field/system)	hukuk
I am very regretful now, I wish I had chosen commerce or law.	Şimdi çok pişmanım, keşke ticaret veya hukuk seçseydim.
The boss was telling lies about me, I wish I had not left that job.	Patron benim hakkımda yalan söylüyordu, keşke o işi bırakmasaydım.
courage	cesaret
I wish I had more courage in my youth and had started commerce.	Keşke gençliğimde daha çok cesaretim olsaydı ve ticarete başlasaydım.
entrepreneur	girişimci
She is a successful entrepreneur, I wish I also had this courage.	O başarılı bir girişimci, keşke bende de bu cesaret olsaydı.
diploma	diploma
I wanted to be an entrepreneur, I wish I had not gotten that diploma.	Girişimci olmak istiyordum, keşke o diplomayı almasaydım.
internship	staj
I wish I had done an internship at that company, practice is very important.	Keşke o şirkette staj yapsaydım, pratik çok önemli.
Everyone was doing an internship, I wish I had learned new skills too.	Herkes staj yapıyordu, keşke ben de yeni beceriler öğrenseydim.
career	kariyer
I studied law but I am very regretful, I wish I had changed my career.	Hukuk okudum ama çok pişmanım, keşke kariyerimi değiştirseydim.
I wish I had gotten that diploma for a good career.	Keşke iyi bir kariyer için o diplomayı alsaydım.