Learn Turkish: Dijital belgelere kütüphanede ücretsiz erişilir. - Digital documents are accessed for free in the library.

In Turkish, the verb erişmek (to reach/access) always takes the dative case (-(y)e / -(y)a). When an intransitive verb like erişmek is made passive, its object keeps its original case. So, even though it translates to "Digital documents are accessed," the Turkish structure is more like "To digital documents, it is accessed."

How is the passive formed in the word erişilir?

The root is eriş- (to access). We add the passive suffix -il, making erişil- (to be accessed). Finally, the aorist (simple present) tense suffix -ir is added to state a general fact, giving us erişilir.

This lesson is about "impersonal passives". Is erişilir an impersonal passive here?

Yes! Because erişmek does not take a direct object (it takes the dative), it cannot have a normal passive subject. Instead, it forms an impersonal passive. The action "is done" by people in general. Sentences like this often translate well using "People access..." or "You can access..." in English.

Why use the aorist tense (-ir) in erişilir instead of the present continuous (-iyor)?

The aorist is the go-to tense for stating general facts, rules, or timeless truths. Since this sentence describes a standard service provided by the library rather than an action happening right this second, the aorist is the perfect choice.