Log inSign up

Sakın ağlama!

Sakın ağlama!
Don't you dare cry!
From Lesson 25:Negative commands (-ma, -me)·Turkish

Questions & Answers about Sakın ağlama!

How is the negative imperative formed in 'ağlama'?
We take the verb root ağla (from ağlamak, meaning "to cry") and add the negative suffix -ma. For the informal "you" (singular), we don't add any extra personal suffixes to the imperative mood, so ağlama on its own means "don't cry!".
Does the word 'sakın' literally mean 'dare'?
No, sakın is a special adverb used to give a strong warning. It doesn't have a direct one-word equivalent in English, but when you pair it with a negative command like ağlama, the whole phrase translates perfectly to "don't you dare...", "make sure you don't...", or "whatever you do, don't...".
Why does 'ağlama' use the '-ma' suffix instead of '-me'?
It follows the rules of 2-way vowel harmony. The last vowel in the root ağla is "a", which is a back (hard) vowel. Therefore, we must use the back vowel suffix -ma.
Where should I place the spoken stress when pronouncing 'ağlama'?
In Turkish negative verbs, the spoken emphasis usually lands on the syllable right before the negative suffix. In ağlama, you should stress the second syllable: ağ-LA-ma.

Learn Sakın ağlama and more in Turkish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Turkish →