Personal Necessity
To say that a specific person needs to do something, use the short verbal noun (verb stem + -ma or -me) instead of the full infinitive (-mak / -mek). Attach a possessive suffix to show whose action is necessary, then add lazım or gerek.
| Person | Possessive | Example | Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (Ben) | -m | gitmem | gitmem lazım |
| You (Sen) | -n | gitmen | gitmen lazım |
| He/She (O) | -sı / -si | gitmesi | gitmesi lazım |
| We (Biz) | -mız / -miz | gitmemiz | gitmemiz lazım |
| You (Siz) | -nız / -niz | gitmeniz | gitmeniz lazım |
| They (Onlar) | -ları / -leri | gitmeleri | gitmeleri lazım |
| I need to throw away the garbage. | Çöpleri atmam lazım. |
| I need to cancel my appointment today. | Bugün randevumu iptal etmem gerek. |
Addressing Others (You need to...)
To tell someone what they need to do, use the second-person singular suffix -n (or plural/formal -nız / -niz).
| Why do you need to go to the pharmacy? | Neden eczaneye gitmen gerek? |
| You need to wash the laundry. | Çamaşırları yıkaman lazım. |
Third Person (He/She needs to...)
For the third person, the suffix is -sı or -si. Because the short verbal noun always ends in a vowel (-a or -e), it always takes the buffer letter s.
When you name the specific person who needs to do the action (like "my father" or "my sister"), that noun takes the genitive (possessive) case ending. Literally, you are saying "My father's going is necessary."
| My father needs to go to the barber. | Babamın berbere gitmesi lazım. |
| My sister needs to go to the hairdresser. | Ablamın kuaföre gitmesi lazım. |
Plural Needs (We and They)
For plural subjects, apply the plural possessive suffixes: -mız / -miz for "we" and -ları / -leri for "they".
| We need to get an appointment at the hairdresser. | Kuaförden randevu almamız gerek. |
| We need to pay the rent, but first we need to call the mechanic. | Kirayı ödememiz lazım ama önce tamirciyi aramamız gerek. |
| They need to wash the laundry today. | Bugün çamaşırları yıkamaları gerek. |