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Lesson 78: The definite past of "to be"
Now we will learn the definite past of to be in Turkish. You create this form by adding the suffix -(y)Dİ after a noun or adjective, and then adding a personal suffix.
Person | Ending | Example | |
---|---|---|---|
ben | (y)Dİm | I was very fat. | Çok şişmandım. |
sen | (y)Dİn | Where were you? | Neredeydin? |
o | (y)Dİ | It was closed. | Kapalıydı. |
biz | (y)Dİk | We were in China. | Çin'deydik. |
siz | (y)Dİnİz | You were ill. | Hastaydınız. |
onlar | (y)Dİ(lEr) | They were young. | Gençtiler. |
For the negative definite past form of to be, this suffix comes behind the word değil.
The greengrocery was not open. | Manav açık değildi. |
We were not here. | Burada değildik. |
Questions are formed by putting the suffix behind the question particle mİ.
Was I a naughty child? | Yaramaz (bir) çocuk muydum? |
Were you lazy? | Tembel miydin? |
Wasn't he hardworking? | Çalışkan değil miydi? |
Were you a fisherman? | Balıkçı mıydınız? |
Weren't they tired? | Yorgun değil miydiler? |
Question | Answer |
---|---|
fat | şişman |
I was very fat. | (Ben) çok şişmandım. |
Where were you? | (Sen) neredeydin? |
closed, shut; covered | kapalı |
It was closed. | (O) kapalıydı. |
We were in China. | (Biz) Çin'deydik. |
You were ill. | (Siz) hastaydınız. |
young | genç |
They were young. | (Onlar) gençtiler. |
open | açık |
The greengrocery was not open. | Manav açık değildi. |
We were not here. | (Biz) burada değildik. |
naughty, mischievous | yaramaz |
Was I a naughty child? | (Ben) yaramaz (bir) çocuk muydum? |
lazyT | tembel |
Were you lazy? | (Sen) tembel miydin? |
hardworking, diligent, industrious | çalışkan |
Wasn't he hardworking? | (O) çalışkan değil miydi? |
fisherman; fishmonger, fish seller | balıkçı |
Were you a fisherman? | (Siz) (bir) balıkçı mıydınız? |
Weren't they tired? | (Onlar) yorgun değil miydi(ler)? |
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