The aorist interrogative (-ar mı?)

The aorist interrogative is perfect for asking if something generally happens, making it ideal for questions about science, habits, and universal truths.

The Third Person ("He / She / It / They")

To form a yes/no question in the third person, follow the positive aorist verb with the question particle , mi, mu, or . The particle is written as a separate word and follows 4-way vowel harmony with the verb's ending.

  • a, ı (e.g., yapar mı? – does he/she/it do?)
  • e, imi (e.g., bilir mi? – does he/she/it know?)
  • o, umu (e.g., olur mu? – does he/she/it become?)
  • ö, ü (e.g., görür mü? – does he/she/it see?)
Do scientists know everything?
Bilim insanları her şeyi bilir mi?
Does the chemistry teacher work in the laboratory?
Kimya öğretmeni laboratuvarda çalışır mı?

When talking about chemical reactions or properties of matter, this form is used to ask about general scientific facts.

Does this substance melt inside hot water?
Bu madde sıcak suyun içinde erir mi?
Does a bad mixture explode suddenly?
Kötü bir karışım aniden patlar mı?

The Second Person ("You")

To ask someone about their own habits or actions ("do you...?"), add the second-person singular ending (-sın, -sin, -sun, -sün) directly to the question particle. The entire particle cluster is still written separately from the verb.

  • a, ımısın (e.g., yapar mısın? – do you do?)
  • e, imisin (e.g., bilir misin? – do you know?)
Do you mix water with acid?
Suyu asitle karıştırır mısın?

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