Optative Mood (‑ayım/‑alım/‑sın)

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Prerequisites for this Turkish Grammar Lesson

Negative verbs

-mıyor
-mıyor musun?
-mamak

Accusative case: the direct object ending

-(y)ı
When to use it
burayı, şurayı, orayı, nereyi
bunu, şunu, onu

How to say “let” in Turkish: yapayım, yapalım, yapsın

The optative mood in Turkish is used to express wishes, suggestions, or requests for actions someone should take. This lesson covers three forms: yapayım (“let me do it”), yapalım (“let’s do it”), and yapsın (“let him/her do it”). These forms indicate desired or intended actions.

If you’ve made it this far in your Turkish language learning, you already know the second person form of the optative, which is the way you make commands in Turkish: yap (do it).

Forming the optative

To form the optative, take the dictionary form of a verb and remove “mak” or “mek” from the end to get the verb stem. For example, “yapmak” becomes “yap.” Then, add either -(y)ayım/eyim for first person singular, -(y)alım/elim for first person plural, or -sın/sin/sun/sün for third person, taking into account normal vowel harmony rules.

Grammar forms

• Verb stem + (y) + ayım/eyim (for first person singular)
• Verb stem + (y) + alım/elim (for first person plural)
• Verb stem + sın/sin/sun/sün (for third person)

Example sentences with -ayım ending*

Ne yapayım o zaman?
What should I do then?

Ben doktorla konuşayım.
Let me talk with the doctor.

Ben şimdi selfie çekeyim.
Let me take a selfie now.

Yolcu edeyim seni.
Let me send you off.

Niye söyleyeyim şimdi?
Why should I say it now?

Ne diyeyim?
What should I say?

Ben de yardım edeyim.
Let me help too.

Example sentences with -alım ending

Hadi gidelim.
Let’s go.

Hadi bir şeyler yiyelim.
Let’s eat something.

Beraber yapalım.
Let’s do [it] together.

Nasıl çözelim?
How should we solve [it]?

Yarın yapalım.
Let’s do it tomorrow.

Hastaneye götürelim.
Let’s take him/her to the hospital.

Hemen söyleyelim.
Let’s say it right away.

Maşallah diyelim.
We should say maşallah.

Biz dışarıda oynayalım.
Let’s play outside.

Example sentences with -sın ending

Şenlik başlasın!
Let the festival begin!

Öyle olsun.
Let it be like that.

Bana bir çay söyle. Limonlu olsun.
Order me a tea. Let it be with lemon.

Çağır, o da gelsin.
Call him/her, let him/her come too.

Ne söylesin bana?
What should he/she say to me?

Niye yapsın böyle bir şey?
Why should he/she do such a thing?

Negative optative forms

To form the negative optative forms, add the -ma/me negative ending before adding the optative ending.

Grammar forms:

• Verb stem + ma/me + y + ayım/eyim
• Verb stem + ma/me + y + alım/elim
• Verb stem + ma/me + sın/sin

Negative Examples

Bunları konuşmayalım bence.
I think we should not talk about these things.

Elimiz boş gitmeyelim.
Let’s not go empty-handed.

Ben eve geç kalmayayım.
I should not be home late.

Kimse duymasın.
Let no one hear [it].

Hiç şüpheniz olmasın.
Have no doubt.

Merak etmesin.
He/she should not worry.

Yes or no questions with the optative

The optative forms can also be used to form yes or no questions, which express uncertainty or a suggestion in question form. To create a yes/no question with the optative, add the question particle mı/mi after the optative form.

Grammar forms:

• Verb stem + (y) + ayım/eyim    mı/mi
• Verb stem + (y) + alım/elim    mı/mi
• Verb stem + sın/sin/sun/sün    mı/mi/mu/mü

Examples with yes or no questions

Başlayalım mı?
Should we start?

Gidelim mi?
Should we go?

Seyredelim mi biraz?
Should we watch for a bit?

Akşama bir şeyler yapalım mı?
Should we do something tonight?

Görüntülü arayalım mı?
Should we do a video call?

Biraz konuşalım mı?
Should we talk a bit?

Çay söyleyeyim mi?
Should I order some tea?

Herkes gelsin mi?
Should everyone come?

The -sın ending in common expressions

Since the third person optative -sın ending expresses a wish or desire that something would happen, it often shows up in common expressions in Turkish, especially blessings that are used for specific situations.

Examples of common expressions

Olsun.
That’s fine. (Literally, “Let it be.”)

Hayırlı olsun.
May it bring good fortune. (Literally, “May it be fortunate.”)

Hayırlısı olsun.
Whatever is best, let it happen. (Literally, “May the best thing happen.”)

Helal olsun.
Good job. (Literally, “May it be halal.”)

Afiyet olsun.
Bon appétit. (Literally, “May it be healthy.”)

Aşk olsun.
Come on! (Literally, “Let there be love”)

Haberin olsun.
Just so you know. (Literally, “May you have news.”)

Feda olsun.
It’s worth the sacrifice. (Literally, “May it be sacrificed.”)

Yazıklar olsun.
Shame on you. (Literally, “May there be shame.”)

Yaşasın!
Hooray! (Literally, “May [it] live!”)

Kolay gelsin.
May your work go well. (Literally, “May it come easy.”)

Şükürler olsun!
Thank God! (Literally, “May there be thanks.”)

Daha ne olsun?
What more could you ask for? (Literally, “What more should be?”)

Neden olmasın?
Why not? (Literally, “Why should it not be?”)

Gözün arkada kalmasın.
Rest assured. (Literally, “May your eyes not stay behind.”)

Yolun açık olsun.
May you have a smooth journey. (Literally, “May your way be clear.”)

Geçmiş olsun.
Get well soon. (Literally, “May it be past.”)

Başınız sağ olsun.
My condolences. (Literally, “May your head be healthy.”)

Doğum gününüz kutlu olsun.
Happy birthday. (Literally, “May your birthday be blessed.”)

Bayramınız mübarek olsun.
Happy holidays. (Literally, “May your holiday be blessed.”)

Hayırlı cumalar olsun.
May you have a blessed Friday. (In Islam, Friday is considered a sacred day.)

Allah rahmet eylesin.
My condolences. (Literally, “May God have mercy.”)

Allah korusun.
God forbid / May God watch over us. (Literally, “May God protect.”)

Allah bağışlasın.
May God bless the child. (Literally, “May God grant.”)

Allah razı olsun.
Thank you. (Literally, “May God be pleased.”)

Allah sabır versin.
May God help you through this. (Literally, “May God give patience.”)

Allah analı babalı büyütsün.
God bless this child. (Literally, “May God raise [the child] with their mother and father.”)

Allah yardımcınız olsun.
God help you. (Literally, “May God be your helper.”)

Allah uzun ömürler versin.
May God give a long life. (Said for young children or at birthdays)

Using “bakayım” and “bakalım” with commands

The word bakmak (to look) has an additional usage beyond the normal optative meaning. If you use either bakayım or bakalım after a command, it adds a bit of nuance to the command. If it is said in a friendly tone, especially when speaking to a child, adding bakayım or bakalım can make a command softer or more polite. However it is also possible to use bakayım or bakalım in a sarcastic or antagonistic way to make a command sharper or convey irritation.

Examples with “bakayım” and “bakalım”

Al bakalım.
Here, take [it].

Ver bakayım.
Hand it over, let me take a look.

Ver bakayım şu telefonu.
Let me see me that phone!

Sen nasılsın anlat bakalım.
So, tell me, let’s hear how you’ve been.

Bir düşünün bakalım.
Think about it for a second, let’s see what you come up with.

Şimdi anlatın bakalım.
Alright, go ahead and explain, let’s hear it.

Using the optative forms with “istemek”

The optative forms can also be used with the verb istemek (to want) to express desires involving someone else performing an action. In these constructions, the optative form is followed by istemek in a conjugated form, which communicates that the subject wants the action to occur. For example, yapsın istiyorum means “I want him/her to do it.”

Examples with “istemek”

Ben birazcık sosyalleşsin istiyorum.
I want him/her to socialize a bit more.

Ziyaret edeyim istedim.
I just wanted to visit.

Bir değişiklik olsun istedim.
I wanted there to be a change.

Taşısın istedim.
I wanted him/her to carry [it].

Sen tiyatro dersinden kalayım istiyorsun.
You want me to fail the theater class.

Aramızda sorun olsun istemiyorum artık.
I don’t want there to be a problem between us anymore.

Sen ben evlenmeyeyim istiyorsun.
You want me to not get married.

Birlikte yaşlanalım istiyorum.
I want us to grow old together.

Using -ayım with “demek”

You can also use the -ayım first person optative form with demek (to say) to talk about an intention for an action. This is most common when the speaker wants to downplay the importance of an action, as in seni uğrayayım dedim, which means, “I just wanted to stop by.” Or, more literally: “I said, ‘let me visit you.'”

Examples with “demek”

Bir bakayım dedim.
I just thought I’d take a look.

Geçerken bir uğrayayım dedim.
I just wanted to stop in while I was passing by.

Gitmeden seni bir göreyim dedim.
I thought I’d come and see you before I left.

Hatırlatayım dedim.
I just thought I’d remind you.

Pronunciation of -ayım

The first person singular form of the optative ending (-ayım/eyim) is often pronounced differently than it is spelled, especially in casual speech. Many speakers will pronounce it as -im, regardless of vowel harmony. For example, instead of saying “yapayım,” speakers usually say “yapim.” Likewise, instead of “geleyim,” it is more common to say “gelim.”

Colloquial forms: napim, napsın, napalım

In everyday spoken Turkish, you will often hear the colloquial versions of these forms. For example, the verb “ne yapmak” (to do what) is frequently shortened to “nap-“ in fast or informal speech.

Colloquial Forms

• Napim = “What should I do?”
• Napsın = “What should he/she/it do?”
• Napalım = “What should we do?”

Older optative forms that are less common

Although the second person optative forms yapasın and yapasınız are less common, they do exist and are sometimes used in more literary or poetic contexts. These forms are usually paired with diye or ki. While these are more advanced forms than the other optative forms, it may be worth your time to at least expose yourself to them.

There is also a less common, archaic third person singular form that uses the -a/e suffix, as in expressions like kolay gele. This form is rarely used in modern Turkish, having been largely replaced by -sın/sin forms. However, you may still encounter it in older texts or traditional expressions.

Grammar forms:

• Verb stem + (y) + asın/esin (second person singular)
• Verb stem + (y) + asınız/esiniz (second person plural/formal)
• Verb stem + (y) + a/e (third person singular, less common/archaic)

Examples with expressions

Sağ olasın
Thank you. (Literally, May you be healthy.)
More common equivalent: Sağol

Kolay gele.
May it come easy.
More common equivalent: Kolay gelsin

Hayrola / Hayır ola!
What happened? (Literally, May it be good!)
More common equivalent: Hayırdır

Allah rahmet eyleye.
My condolences. (Literally, May God have mercy.)
More common equivalent: Allah rahmet eylesin

Examples of -asın(ız) with “diye” and “ki”

Okuyasınız diye kısa yazdım
I wrote briefly so that you would read [it]
(From an opinion piece)

Siz unutmayasınız diye yaralar acılarınızı büyütüyor.
Wounds increase your pain so that you don’t forget.
(From a reflective essay)

Niye dönmek isteyesin ki?
Why would you even want to go back?
(From a reflective essay)

Ama nereden hatırlayasın ki!
But how could you even remember!
(From a reflective essay)

Is the -sın ending second person or third person?

To avoid confustion, it is important to comment on the fact that the -sın ending is used for the third person in the optative while it normally gives the second person meaning in other verb forms, as in yapıyorsun (you are doing it). In other verb forms besides the optative, the absence of a personal ending means it is third person, as in yapıyor (he/she is doing it).

However, for verbs in the optative mood, it is the other way around. The presence of the -sın ending indicates third person, as in yapsın (let him do it), and the absence of the -sın ending means it is a second person command: yap (do it).

So which way is it? Is the -sın ending actually second person or is it third person?

We think it is both. Our theory is that Turkish doesn’t have a “real” third person distinction built into its grammar. So the -sın ending grammatically is both second and third person. Or to be more precise, it is non-first person. But because people in real life usually need to distinguish between second and third person, the language developed a “hack:” leave off the ending for third person.

However, it seems that over time the second person optative (the command form) in Turkish got reduced down to the bare verb stem with no endings. This probably happened because the command form is one of the most commonly used forms in the language. This process of reduction often occurs with commonly used forms as languages change over time. After this reduction, the second person optative was lacking the -sın ending, so the -sın ending ended up having a third person meaning in the optative form.

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