To express "so that" or "in order to" in Turkish, use the word diye. It frequently follows a verb in the optative or imperative mood to explain the purpose behind a specific action.
| so that (purpose) | diye |
Third-Person Purposes
When taking precautions so that someone or something else does or doesn't do something, use the third-person imperative form of the verb before diye.
For negative outcomes ("so that it doesn't..."), attach the negative suffix -ma / -me and the third-person imperative suffix -sın / -sin to the verb stem.
| They are wearing thick clothes so that the bees do not sting. | Arılar sokmasın diye kalın kıyafetler giyiyorlar. |
| We are being quiet while approaching the hives so that the bees do not get angry. | Kovanlara yaklaşırken arılar kızmasın diye sessiz oluyoruz. |
This exact same structure works for inanimate objects or concepts, such as preventing cold air from entering a hive.
| I closed the holes of the hive so that cold air doesn't enter. | Soğuk hava girmesin diye kovanın deliklerini kapattım. |
First-Person Purposes
When taking an action so that you or we can achieve something, use the optative mood. For "we", add the suffix -alım or -elim to the verb stem before diye.
| We wore white coveralls so that we could cover our bodies. | Vücudumuzu örtelim diye beyaz bir tulum giydik. |
| We are blowing some smoke into the hive so that we can get the honey easily. | Balı rahat alalım diye kovana biraz duman veriyoruz. |
Sentence Structure
The entire purpose clause (Subject + Optative/Imperative verb + diye) typically sits right before the main action in the sentence.
| I attached a net to my hat so that bees don't get into my hair. | Arılar saçlarıma girmesin diye şapkama tül taktım. |
| They reportedly put the hive in a high tree so that the bear doesn't eat the honey. | Ayı balı yemesin diye kovanı yüksek bir ağaca koymuşlar. |