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Questions & Answers about Lütfen gülme, dinle.
How do we form the negative command for do not laugh in this sentence?
We take the root of the verb to laugh, which is gül. To make it a negative command, we add the negative suffix -me or -ma. Since gül has a front vowel (ü), vowel harmony rules tell us to add -me, giving us gülme.
Why does dinle not have any suffixes added to it?
In Turkish, giving an affirmative command to one person informally uses the bare verb root with no extra endings. The root of the verb to listen is dinle, so you simply say dinle to tell someone to listen.
Where should I place the spoken emphasis when pronouncing gülme?
In Turkish negative commands, the spoken stress always shifts to the syllable right before the negative suffix. Therefore, in gülme, you stress the first syllable (gül) rather than the -me ending.
Since the sentence starts with lütfen, does that mean this is a formal command?
No, adding lütfen (please) makes it polite, but the grammar here remains informal. The forms gülme and dinle are used for someone you would address with the informal you (sen). If you were speaking to a group or someone formal, you would add formal endings to say gülmeyin and dinleyin.